Presidency kicks as PDP govs accuse FG of ‘untold anti-democractic’ actions

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have accused the Federal Government of intimidation and anti-democratic actions during the just concluded by-elections in the country.

But the Presidency described the allegations as baseless, adding that the governors were merely hurting from their losses at the polls.

Allegations of vote-buying, violence and low voter turnout had trailed the August 9 by-elections, which were conducted to fill vacant senatorial and House of Representatives’ seats following the death and resignation of former occupants.

At the end of the exercise, the All Progressives Congress won elections in 12 constituencies, while the PDP won only one.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance picked up two, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party clinched one.

But the PDP and other opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the NNPP, rejected the outcome, accusing the ruling party of using federal might to rig the elections in several states.

In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, the PDP Governors’ Forum alleged that the polls were marred by intimidation and excessive deployment of security forces.

“The Forum condemns the over-militarisation of last Saturday’s by-elections characterised by widespread irregularities, vote-buying and violence, and calls on Nigerians to be more circumspect in protecting their votes.

“The Forum expresses profound gratitude to members and supporters of the PDP nationwide for their steadfast loyalty in the face of serious intimidation and untold anti-democratic actions of the APC-led Federal Government in the last by-elections,” the communiqué read.

The governors commended the resilience of the party in standing against “orchestrated defections.”

They said the distraction would not diminish the PDP’s appeal or “the growing public yearning for the return of affordable living and relative security experienced under PDP-led administrations.”