PDP to petition UN over alleged militarisation of Presidential, NASS polls

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), says it has resolved to petition the United Nations over the role allegedly played by the Nigerian military in the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, disclosed this while addressing newsmen after the party’s expanded caucus meeting on Monday in Abuja.

He said that the party would also report the role of the military to other global democratic institutions.

The party decried the alleged “militarisation of South-South ahead of Saturday’s governorship and state house of assemblies elections.

He said that the PDP presidential candidate would go to court to challenge outcome of the presidential election.

“We insist that our party and our candidate have resolved to seek legal redress on the stolen mandate.

“The party’s caucus also commends Nigerians for refusing the harassment, intimidation and militarisation of the electoral process and for participating in the elections,” Ologbondiyan said.

PDP National Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, who also spoke, said the decision of the party to seek legal redress on the just concluded presidential election was informed by the alleged rigging of the polls.

Secondus alleged that not only were electorate harassed, the ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were also intimidated to rig the elections.

“Nothing will make us waver in the pursuit of justice. The decision to go to court has been finalised and the process has begun. We will file our petition today (Monday) or Tuesday.

“Our leaders are not talking and if you don’t speak against evil, it will consume everybody. The National Peace Committee is not saying anything.

“If nothing is done, we (party) will nosedive and go deeper and deeper in this situation we have found ourselves,” he said.

Secondus called for the immediate release of the PDP presidential candidate’s son in-law, Babalele Abdullahi and his personal lawyer, Uyiekpen Osagie, alleged to have been arrested by the EFCC.