APC will defend its mandate, Onoh assures opposition parties

Spokesman of the Bola Tinubu presidential campiagn council in the South East, Dr. Josef Onoh has assured members of the opposition political parties, that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will defend it’s mandate, whenever the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declares Tinubu as winner of last Saturday presidential election.

He however gave credit to Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party for his dominance and mark in the south east, but noted that the south east alone was not enough as a national deciding factor.

Onoh said election is a process, “which I expect political organisations like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party to agree with me and to know what the process constitutes and what rights and privileges they are entitled to as an organisation of the form they are.

“It is absolutely wrong and a manifestation of insensitivity to the nation for PDP to approve of its spokesman to utter instigating statements that are capable of causing unrest among the populace on the back of filtering results online that are unfavourable to it.

“The Labour Party spokesman also has reportedly issued threats to INEC over what it considers delay of results and other sundry complaints that have clear resolution through the legally established processes without heating the system – except, if that is their aim.

“The Labour party did the most unexpected; calling for the cancellation of the presidential election. Why? The same election you claim you are winning just yesterday, and yet, to be canceled because results are not yet uploaded on INEC servers. It is appropriate that we have full understanding and interpretation of the Electoral law as applicable. Section 62 of the Electoral Act 2022

“In the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians, we must all as much as possible desist from rhetoric capable of instigating violence after such a relatively peaceful election as we had on Saturday 25th. PDP and Labour Party and other unguided civil elements not limited to our celebrities and self styled celebrities must be called to order; Nigerians would hold you accountable if your unguarded utterances degenerate into any form of post-election crisis.

“I urge the DSS, Nigerian Army, the police and all other security apparatus to document their various inciting Instagram, twitter, Facebook posts as evidence to avoid claims of their social media accounts being hacked when it’s time to hold them to account.”

He stated that the founding fathers of Nigeria sacrificed a lot for the nation’s unity which he said would not be tampered with under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.

He further cautioned against youthful exuberance or emotional support for preferred candidates to create anarchy in the society, adding that such youths and artists should prepare their minds that a civil disobedience such EndSARS protest would not take place again in Nigeria.

He urged all the political parties that took part in the election to maintain peace and decorum since a winner must always emerge in every political contest.

“Winners should be magnanimous in victory while losers should accept their loss in good faith. It would not be proper to accuse us of rigging when the opposition parties and their supporters alleged that the naira redesign was meant to frustrate our candidate from wining despite the hardship it was causing the masses, our candidate registered his protest in several ways and manner against the hardship it caused Nigerians.

“Every reform was celebrated no matter how frustrating it was to Nigerians yet the opposition hailed it as directed to ensure our candidates failure in the polls hence nobody can accuse us of any electoral malpractice, nothing like vote buying. So if the APC candidate is declared winner, we should all support him to succeed.

“We are ready to defend our mandate to the end and at any length. In the defence of our mandate, we will ensure that nobody will incite Nigerians to distablise the country,” Onoh said.