The legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is reportedly considering a legal challenge of the presidential election results, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Topshots of the party are expected at an emergency meeting in Abuja, today.
The meeting is coming on the heels of the rejection of the presidential election result of Nasarawa State and some states in the North, where Card Readers reportedly failed but voters were annually accredited.
Notice of the meeting was reportedly sent by the former minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, a senior advocate of Nigeria.
Turaki was a former PDP presidential aspirant.
The meeting, which will hold at the Legacy House, Abuja, is expected to start at 4:00pm.
He told invitees to “appear in person” as there will be “no representation please.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has warned against plans to cause a constitutional crisis by truncating the electoral process and making the February 23, 2019 elections inconclusive.
The warning was contained in a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday.
He accused the PDP of laying the groundwork for a constitutional crisis by unleashing what it described as the party’s “talking heads” on the public space to claim victory from Saturday’s election, even when INEC has yet to announce the result.
He said by usurping the INEC’s role, through the announcement of results, the PDP has violated the Electoral Act and should face very serious consequences.
“This confirms what we said in a series of pre-election press conferences, that the PDP–realising it cannot win a free and fair election–will do everything possible to scuttle the polls, failing which it will proceed to the next stage; which is to discredit the entire electoral process, including the result, with the ultimate aim of precipitating a constitutional crisis and pushing for an interim government,” he said.
The minister wondered why “those who parade themselves as Democrats would show such disdain for the electoral process, which is a key ingredient of democracy.”
He called on the security agencies “to check the activities of the PDP, in this regard, by arresting and prosecuting anyone who announces the result of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections, other than INEC.”
Meanwhile, INEC has dismissed PDP’s objection to the results.
Yakubu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the Commission is doing the right thing and would not want to join issues with anyone or party.
