INEC has rubbished democracy-PDP.

…Says Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa polls worst in nation’s history.
From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of using Saturday’s elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states to drive the final nails into the coffin of democracy on Nigeria.
The opposition party said that the conduct of its officials during the election has shown that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completely crashed out as a neutral umpire.
Making the allegations in Abuja in the first official reaction of the party to the polls, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Iliya Damagum, said democracy cannot survive in Nigeria if INEC carries on in the same manner.
Damagum said that the elections in which the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained the status quo in the three states, were worse than the 2023 general elections.
The PDP chairman remarked that even though people have lost confidence in the judiciary, it is still better for those who feel aggrieved to seek redress through lawful means.
“We want to state in clear terms that the election held on Saturday has further confirmed the fears that have been laid on the umpire. We have seen all sorts of violence, intimidation, and high handedness. This has further confirmed that the electoral body has completely derailed from the role it was supposed to play.
“People have lost confidence. Voters were completely disenfranchised due to the complicity of some of the agencies that were to help have a very fair election, but they completely compromised. This election is worse than even the one we had earlier.
“I want to use this medium to tell Nigerians that this is not what we bargained for and also express our fear that if we go on in this kind of manner, I am afraid that some other elections that will be off-season, which is coming up very soon, maybe there will be no election in this country. It will be a written result.
“I ask all Nigerians to pray for this country because I don’t know if this is a curse that has happened to us in this country or if this is our way. We should pray that if this is what we are, then God should intervene.
“However, those who have been cheated in this election should pursue their grievance through lawful means, even though we have doubts that even the lawful means are a sad story. In a country where justice is not dispensed, anarchy is imminent,” Damagum said at a briefing.
The chairman also appealed to party supports to restrain themselves in their utterances, adding, “As you can see, we’ve been doing everything possible to make sure that this party remains indivisible, and we will continue to do that. I want to urge our members to be very cautious, especially in the way and manner in which they state things. They should always state facts because it is only the facts that last.
“I want to assure them that we will continue to do justice to all. We are ready to take all the blame because, after every election, there will be blame, but all members should reflect on the roles they played during campaigns, during elections, and after.
“We should have a self-reflection so that, at the end of the day, we shall know whether we are doing the right thing because we all need this party. Our duty here is to make sure that this party remains indivisible.”
The acting national chairman also said the Imo State gubernatorial candidate and former national secretary, Mr. Sam Anyanwu, who returned to the secretariat on Tuesday to resume work as national secretary will not get automatic entry pass to his seat because the deputy national secretary of the party will continue to act until some issues are resolved.
According to him: “Since there are conflicting court orders, we urged the two sides to stand down, and we have agreed and appointed the deputy national secretary to continue to act as secretary pending the time, we will resolve all the issues—the conflicting court orders and resolutions of the south-east. So, there is no conflict, and we are together and thinking together on this issue.”