The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday accused the nation’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission of deliberately trying to disenfranchise its members and supporters in Lagos State by refusing to release their Permanent Voter Cards to them.
The PDP made the accusation in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja.
The party said that it has observed that officials of INEC were colluding with the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State to frustrate the distribution of the PVCs in PDP strongholds as well as to non-indigenes in the state.
The party described the development as “unacceptable, illegal and part of the criminal plot by the APC” to hold on to power in the face of its dwindling popularity among the people who are now eager to vote enmasse for the PDP and end APC’s dictatorial rule in the state.
According to the PDP: “While we restate our commitment to peaceful and credible elections come February 14, 2015, we will not accept any attempt to scheme us out in any state or states controlled by the APC.”
The statement declared that the APC has been jittery over the increasing popularity of President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Olujimi Agbaje, and is now seeking to compromise the electoral process by manipulating the distribution of the PVCs.
It alleged that INEC has refused to check the trend despite repeated concerns raised by its state chapter and other well meaning Nigerians.
The PDP thus challenged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and the leadership of the commission to prove their innocence by immediately intervening and ensuring that all eligible voters in the state received their PVCs before the general elections.
The PDP equally demanded that INEC should thoroughly investigate the matter and ensure that all those involved are sanctioned in order to restore confidence in the electoral process in the state.