Oshiomhole: INEC believes everything PDP says

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) believes everything the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, on Wednesday, Oshiomhole alleged that the INEC was working to the advantage of the PDP, adding that the commission has been very unfair to the ruling party.

While responding to questions on alleged collusion between the INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari, the APC chairman alleged that two resident electoral commissioners in the south-south have been campaigning with the PDP.

“If anything, this INEC has been very unfair to the APC. But we just discovered that we have a responsibility. The fact that we are a governing party imposes on us a certain level of code that you can’t be seen to rubbish every institution because if we rubbish everything, it would mean that we don’t want election. INEC believe everything the PDP says,” he said.

“As we speak, there are two resident electoral commissioners who are virtually campaigning line by line with the PDP in the south south. INEC, without giving us any explanation and without any concrete evidence went ahead to say we can’t field candidates in Zamfara, thereby seeking to award, without any context, a nullified democracy in Zamfara state.

“Is that the way your friends behave if they are your friends? INEC is working more for the PDP, based on evidence I can show. How can they explain that a court of competent jurisdiction gave orders in Zamfara to say this candidate is eligible to contest election and another high court in Abuja also gave a verdict saying APC did not conclude its primaries but did not give order to INEC?

“There is no order issued by the federal high court in Abuja. The court of appeal made a pronouncement on this matter today that there was no order from the court in Abuja, but that there was a concrete order from a Zamfara high court which upheld the primaries that was conducted in Zamfara.

“The INEC chairman has said that when there are two court orders, they will adopt the last judgement. In Zamfara state, the Abuja judgement came first and the Zamfara judgment came last even though it is the same say.”

He accused the electoral body of not sticking to its words on its decision regarding the Zamfara APC legal tussle.

He said: “More as INEC has said they will always obey the last judgement when it came to the Zamfara issue, they changed the goal post. As media, you have to be careful. When you say people alleged there were meetings and can’t even cite any, it is a disservice. We have been at the receiving end of abuses.

“Do you remember the confession of the former deputy senate president who, on national television and on social media where anything is possible, narrated how President Obasanjo used him and Atiku to rig election, how they wrote results, how they collude with INEC. This same Atiku was in office when Mantu was doing those things.

“So, if PDP functionaries have enumerated how they use to rig election, how can in all fairness, these point to President Muhammadu Buhari?”