The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has accused the President of giving marching orders to the Nigerian military and Police to brutalise voters during the forthcoming general elections.
Mr Secondus who was responding to President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to security agencies to be ruthless against anyone found snatching ballot boxes during the polls, said, “the President’s remarks amount to a declaration of war on Nigerian voters and a direct incitement against voters”.
President Buhari had during a caucus meeting of his All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday said that he had given orders to the military and police not to spare any thugs who attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
In the words of the President, “Anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or lead thugs to disturb it, maybe this is the last unlawful action you will take. I really gave the military and the police (order) to be ruthless. We are not going to be blamed that we want to rig election. I want Nigerians to be respected. Let them vote whoever they want across the parties.”
But in a statement from his media office, the PDP chairman said the directive by the President was a licence to top APC leaders to move freely with the military at their constituencies to harass and intimidate INEC staff and the opposition agents during the elections.
He added, “The President’s confirmation that he has directed the service chiefs to kill Nigerians is nothing but a pre-determined script hatched by the ruling party to create voter apathy and implement their result replacement plans using thugs protected by the military.”
While noting that elections are a civil matter handled by the police, Mr Secondus wondered “whether the military belongs to Nigeria or Buhari and APC even as he advised the operatives to maintain professionalism in all their operations because history is recording.”
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