A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, has opined that Nigeria’s democracy is teetering on the edge.
He also alleged that it is due to the All Progressives Congress’s APC destruction of democratic institutions.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Secondus condemned in strong terms the APC’s handling of the recent Edo State governorship election, describing it as “electoral fraud” with blatant disregard for the rule of law and voters’ rights.
He blasted the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje’s boast to repeat the Edo election strategy in upcoming elections in Ondo and Anambra.
He believes that it indicates the APC’s intention to silence opposition and establish a one-party state, urging Nigerians to prioritise transparency, accountability, and free and fair elections to safeguard democracy.
The PDP National chairman also called on international observers to take note of the APC’s actions and their implications for Nigeria’s democratic future.
The statement noted that from the results of all the off-cycle elections conducted in Imo, Kogi, and Edo, the Mahmoud Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission has shown no remorse for the disgraceful conduct of the 2023 election, which threw Nigeria under the bus.
The statement explained, “The beauty of democracy lies in opposing voices that check the ruling party, but the APC is set to ruin Nigeria with their misrule and won’t tolerate dissenting views.”
He stated that Nigeria’s democracy is teetering on the edge because of election rigging, saying that if the Edo election stands, it will be difficult to conduct future elections in Nigeria.
He said that the manipulation of the Edo election was blatant, beginning with the harassment and arrest of opposition leaders, as well as the compromise of key players, such as security agencies and electoral officials.
According to him, the world is watching the disgrace Nigerians bring to this beautiful system of government, which other nations use to stabilise and develop their countries.