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The Action Congress (AC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the biggest threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria, following the alleged massive rigging and violence that accompanied the recent by-election in Oyo State.
The Action Congress (AC) has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the biggest threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria, following the alleged massive rigging and violence that accompanied the recent by-election in Oyo State.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, AC also accused President Umaru Yar'Adua of insincerity in his efforts at reforming Nigeria's electoral process, as he has continued to look the other way while his party continues to desecrate the nation's democracy.
'The manner the by-election in Oyo was conducted has vindicated our stance to shun the so-called inter-party talks hosted by Yar'Adua, as nothing has changed despite the talks, which is like administering medicine to a dead patient.
'After the PDP-controlled states grabbed the council elections through intimidation, rigging and other fraudulent activities, the party used the same tactics to snatch the by-election into the House of Representatives in Oyo state.
'The media has been awash with reports of how the ‘father of the PDP' led his band of bedfellows, including deputy governor Taofeek Arapaja, in a convoy of many vehicles on election day to ensure no election took place in the real sense, while voters were harassed and disenfranchised.
'Despite the reports, the well-identified ring leaders got away scot-free, and business continues as usual. This is no democracy, it is madness on a grand scale, perpetrated by a party so desperate to emasculate the opposition that it will break all the rules of the game with impunity,'' AC said.
The party said the danger in this kind of situaion is that while the judiciary will continue to do its bit to help instil sanity into the country's electoral system, the PDP and INEC will also continue to frustrate all efforts at evolving a healthy electoral process.
'With no one to call the PDP to order, the rampaging bull that the party has become will ensure that fresh elections ordered by the judiciary across the country, in the wake of the mess made of the 2007 general elections, will go the same way as the recent council and by elections," it said.
'While the mess continues, Yar'Adua will continue to mouth his election reform mantra; Adedibu will remain untouchable, not minding his made-for-television arraignment by the police in Abuja while our democracy will continue to do down. Who will save Nigeria's democracy from the rudderless PDP?,'' the party asked.