The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly criticized the conduct and preparations for the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing multiple irregularities that undermined the process and raised serious questions about democratic integrity.
In a statement attributed to National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, the party highlighted a series of pre-election missteps that contributed to what it called a compromised exercise. Chief among these was the imposition of a lengthy movement restriction effectively a 22-hour curfew from 8 p.m. on Friday, February 20, to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, announced by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike with presidential approval.
Ememobong described the measure as "absolutely unnecessary," noting that critical stakeholders had opposed it due to the absence of any credible security threat justifying such drastic action for local council polls.
The PDP pointed to conflicting messages from authorities, including dissonance between statements from the minister and the FCT Police Command, which had separately imposed a shorter 12-hour restriction on election day itself. This lack of coordination, the party argued, created confusion and likely deterred voters, contributing to the notably low turnout observed in many areas.
Ememobong emphasized that Minister Wike, who is not a registered voter in the FCT, actively monitored polling units accompanied by large crowds.
"The minister is not a voter in the FCT, but he was on parade," the statement read. "We need to remind Mr. Minister (Wike) that he is not the governor of the FCT. The crowd he was carrying alone could compromise election integrity."
The PDP warned that these issues combined with other preparatory shortcomings—signal troubling precedents ahead of the 2027 general elections. "If this is a foreshadowing of what 2027 would be, opposition parties are already meeting and will soon come out with a joint position," Ememobong stated.
He stressed that elections must go beyond mere dates on the calendar and genuinely reflect the will of the people, calling for urgent reforms to address the identified flaws and restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The statement comes amid broader reactions to the polls, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) secured victories in most area councils, while opposition voices, including from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and others, have similarly decried alleged interference and voter suppression tactics.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com