The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its decision to derecognise the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), based on its interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgment and other pending cases before various courts.
NOP NIGERIA reports that the PDP, in a statement through its factional National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, titled ‘Democracy At Risk: @inecnigeria, Other National Institutions Must Be Careful’, asserted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) intends to win the 2027 election at all costs.
The PDP emphasised that the INEC has further heightened the already tense political atmosphere through its recent decision on ADC, stressing that the commission’s interpretation of matters concerning political parties consistently appears to favour the ruling party.
The party further appealed to all national institutions, especially INEC, not to yield to partisan pressures or the influence of appointing authorities, but must place the interests of democracy above everything.
The statement read, “With recent political events which are clear orchestrations and manipulation against opposition political parties, the political temperature of the country has been unnecessarily raised to near-fever levels. Society, like the human body, either breaks down or adjusts when subjected to fever.
“It is now common knowledge that the ruling All Progressives Congress intends to win the next presidential elections at all costs, by hook or crook. This desire has, for them, become an inevitable certainty that must be achieved, irrespective of the obvious impracticability staring them in the face. To achieve this, no boundary is respected, and nothing is too much to sacrifice-including derailing democracy, truncating the republic, and destroying Nigeria.
“While we concede that, semantically, the same words and sentences can convey different meanings, it is troubling that INEC’s default interpretation of matters concerning political parties consistently appears to favour the much-perceived and prevailing notion of an uncontested election, effectively handing a colourful coronation to its appointor and the incumbent president. In such circumstances, ulterior motives cannot be discounted.
“The public has also observed a series of political party monitoring activities recently published by the Commission. While these activities fall within its statutory powers, the timing raises legitimate concerns. These activities are rumoured to result in the de-registration of opposition political parties- a development that would further injure our democracy.
“We hereby passionately appeal to all national institutions, especially INEC, not to yield to partisan pressures or the influence of appointing authorities. They must place the interests of democracy and the country above all else. They should draw lessons from history and the conduct of their counterparts in past democratic republics, where many years after people are still battling to clear their names of acts done against the Nigerian people.
“This is a critical moment in our democratic journey, where the fragility and vulnerability of the polity are being tested to their limits. No individual or institution should stretch the patience of Nigerians beyond its present bounds. We must adopt a ‘country-first’ disposition that transcends partisan cleavages.”
