By Adesina Soyooye
The All Progressives Congress, APC, Federal Government, headed by President Muhammadu Buhari does not want to leave office. It wants to stay for more years in office, not through the ballot, but through an illegal tenure elongation.
This allegation was made by the main opposition Party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja on Sunday, May 2022.
The PDP alleged that one of the ways the APC plans to achieve its aim is to continue to stoke political crisis in the country. But the PDP has warned the APC to perish such thoughts.
The PDP also pointed at President Buhari’s reluctance to sign the amended Electoral Act, 2022, insisting it is a ploy to rubbish the Electoral process.
PDP: “The Party alerts Nigerians of the plot by the APC to use orchestrated insecurity and political uncertainty to derail the electoral process, stall the 2023, general elections and create a situation to justify a tenure elongation.”
The party puts the blame, and plot of tenure elongation, at the doorsteps of some APC Leaders.
Said the PDP: “There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrare the smooth conduct of Primaries by Political parties and derail the entire electoral process.”
The PDP, however, said: “Our Party cautions the APC to note that its plans has been exposed and that Nigerians will never allow it to perpetrate its misrule through an orchestrated tenure elongation.”
Following, the full text of PDP’s statement.
Perish Your Tenure Elongation Plot, PDP Cautions APC
…Accuses APC of Stoking Political Crisis to Stall 2023 Elections
“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cautions the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish the thoughts of subverting the electoral process as part of its desperation to elongate its abysmal tenure beyond May 29, 2023.
“The Party alerts Nigerians of the plot by the APC to use orchestrated insecurity and political uncertainty to derail the electoral process, stall the 2023 general election and create a situation to justify a tenure elongation.
“There are revelations that desperate APC leaders are behind the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in signing the amendment to the Electoral Act 2022 so as to frustrate the smooth conduct of primaries by political parties and derail the entire electoral process.
“It is not surprising to the PDP that Mr. President was again “absent” having travelled to the United Arab Emirate and abandoned his constitutional duty of signing the crucial amendment to the Electoral Act.
“This attitude of Mr. President to an issue that is critical to our electoral system is consistent with APC’s plot to cause confusion in the polity, orchestrate an unconducive environment for elections, stall the 2023 general elections and achieve a rumoured third term agenda.
“The regularity of the electoral process as well as the confidence of the people in the certainty of timelines and outcomes of elections are the hallmarks of democracy, which the APC has been dislocating apparently with the view to undermining the electoral process.
“It is clear that the APC has already commenced this ignoble plot with its desperation to use the Court to overthrow the outcome of the FCT Area Council election held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 which was overwhelmingly won by candidates of the PDP, halt the swearing in of the newly elected Chairmen and Councilors and impose an undemocratic government in the FCT.
“The PDP is concerned about APC’s exposed plot to deploy such despicable underhand methods to subvert elections in 2023 where they do not favour APC candidates.
“Moreover, it is now clear that the APC administration has been compromising our security system, opening our nation up to attacks and permitting shared sovereignty with terrorists over large portions of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, apparently to further orchestrate a security situation that will justify the stalling of elections in 2023.
“This probably explains why President Buhari has failed to confront terrorists, contrary to his promise to lead the fight against terrorism from the front and why he remains “absent” and “weak” as terrorists pillage our citizens in various parts of the country.
“This is in addition to the provocative comments that have promoted disunity, agitations and restiveness in various parts of our country, including tagging a particular part of the country as “a dot in a circle”
“Our Party cautions the APC to note that its plans has been exposed and that Nigerians will never allow it to perpetrate its misrule through an orchestrated tenure elongation.
“Nigerians are determined to vote out the APC and return our nation to the path of unity, stability and economic prosperity under the PDP. No amount of shenanigan can keep the APC in power beyond May 29, 2023.”
This medium recalls that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Clarke, recently asked Buhari to elongate his tenure by two years because of the unprecedented insecurity in the country.
