The Director, Strategic Communications for the Atiku-Okowa Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu, has raised alarm over an alleged attempt by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to induce officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Lagos, Ebonyi and Imo to alter the results of Saturday’s Presidential elections.

The campaign said it has reliable

Information that the APC was prepared to deploy intimidation and blackmail should financial inducements fail.

Momodu said this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday.

He said, “As a matter of fact, we have it on credible grounds that our main opponent in this election, the APC party, is currently mounting pressure in attempts to bribe their way to secure 25 per cent performance in both Imo and Ebonyi states.

“It is on the merits of this intelligence that we are calling on the INEC to apply necessary precautions before announcing procured results in the presidential election from these two states.

“Our presidential candidate had yesterday urged the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to instruct Collation Officers to upload results from the Polling Units to the INEC server to avert those results from being compromised by Governors of the ruling party who were shopping for numbers to make up for their shortfalls.

“As we speak, the APC has not been able to meet the 25 per cent threshold and demands that INEC should not cave in to the pressures and desperation of the APC to buy advantages for itself in this regard.

“Similarly, we have it on good grounds that the APC is currently making attempts to shore up votes from Lagos State to their advantage.

“From already collated results, the APC is not leading in Lagos and we have credible information that they are currently shopping for means of manufacturing humongous figures to their advantage in the state.“

He said further, “Similarly, we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission to resist the pressure being mounted on it by the APC to compromise the Lagos Central Senatorial District election where the Peoples Democratic Party is in a clear lead.

“We further urge the electoral commission to put substantial surveillance on Lagos State. The APC are doing ALL within their means to cheat in Lagos.“

Momodu expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their resilience and commitment to ensuring that their votes count by coming out in their numbers to vote for candidates of their choice.

He said, “On behalf of our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, we wish to thank all Nigerians irrespective of their political affiliations for turning up to vote for the candidates of their choice.

“We also want to commend the INEC, the security agencies and all other paramilitary forces for ensuring that the atmosphere of the election was peaceful.

“Having cast their votes, Nigerians are earnestly expecting the results to be announced.

“It is also their expectation that the announced results will be in alignment with the ballots they had cast. As a campaign, we expect nothing less.

“We have been following the trend of post-election activities and it is our desire to reset certain wrong impressions being created to confuse the public.

“From already collated results data we are proud to inform Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party remains in the lead in the election of last weekend.

“We remain the only political party which has secured the necessary 25 per cent spread across 24 states in the country. No other political party has been able to cross this essential constitutional requirement.

“Our demand for INEC’s precaution is not limited to Lagos. It extends to other states in the Southwest and selected states in the North including Katsina, Yobe, and Borno among others.

To the supporters of the PDP, we want to especially thank you for the terrific work that you have done to put our great party on the path towards victory in the election.

“Through your incredible efforts, we are happy to inform you, our members, that we are doing extremely well in the Northwest and the Northeast.

“We are competitive in the South-south and North-central. No other party has the kind of leading edge that we have in this election.

“We urge you all our esteemed members to disregard the mind games being played by the APC. From our standpoint, the APC has no justifiable path to winning this election.

“Unlike the PDP, the APC lacks the spread and unlike the PDP, the figures are not adding up.

“Therefore, we urge PDP members to be vigilant, remain steadfast and peaceful.“

cc: mynd44