2023: We Won’t Accept Any Questionable Harvest Of Votes For APC – Ayu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to keep to his promise of a free, fair and transparent election at the polls next.

Naija News reports that the PDP warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it won’t accept any questionable harvest of votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.

The PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, who warned INEC in Abuja at the commissioning of the party’s Peoples Democratic Institute (PDI) also cautioned the Presidency and the APC not to intimidate INEC or any of its functionaries in any way.

Ayu continued that the institution would serve as a think tank for the party for rigorous intellectual work of research, socio-economic analysis, policy development, training and capacity building of political actors, and the strengthening of the nation’s democratic institutions and culture.

He argued that, unlike the APC, PDP was not hurriedly conceived as a propaganda machine just to access power, saying “it came to power with a mission.”

PDP National Chairman said “It comes about by the rigorous work of carefully studying situations and analyzing them before evolving and implementing sustainable solutions. That was the idea that birthed the PDI on 31st August 2000.

“We understood that democracy is not a one-man show, something to be run on ad-hoc arrangements; democracy is about mass participation, shared ideas and shared prosperity.

“PDI is, therefore, the party’s tool for generating ideas, thoroughly researching them and rigorously analyzing development options/policies for good governance and National development.

“It’s regretful that after more than a decade of eventful activities, the institute lost its accommodation in Wuse II, and had to be located in a portacabin at the party’s national headquarters. Today, however, marks another turning point in our party’s fortunes. The deliberate actions of the current NWC have revived hope for the survival of the institute. It is now comfortably accommodated in this structure which has been rented, renovated, furnished and equipped for PDI to effectively re-engage the purpose for which it was established.

“The party is again preparing itself adequately and shall hit the ground running, when, by the grace of God and the votes of Nigerians, PDP returns to power next year.

“While the others are utterly confused about how, where or when to even begin their campaigns, PDP is already preparing for governance. Our Presidential candidate, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, has already exhibited his intellectual preparedness in his publications that are already in the public space for everyone to access and scrutinize.

“It is not “an accident of history” that he commissioned the institute at its inauguration in 2000 and is today, recommissioning it in preparation for the task ahead starting from May 29, 2023.

“PDP will not waste six months in the Presidential Villa thinking of what to do with power. Although the party has a robust package for making Nigeria workable again, the Institute has been revamped and repositioned to provide research data that will help President Atiku to unlock our national potential, secure the country, energize our productive sectors, stimulate wealth creation, empower youths and women, create jobs, revitalize agriculture, stabilize the educational sector and, altogether, be an alert and effective commander-in-chief.

“The party maintains that we will not accept the questionable harvests of votes from inaccessible areas as happened in previous elections under the APC.

“We renew our call on the international community, especially the US, European Union, the Commonwealth and the African Union to sustain their interest in the democratic project in Nigeria through diplomatic pressures, political contacts and large, high-calibre observer missions.”