2023: We Won’t Accept Questionable Votes From Inaccessible Areas, Ayu Tells Federal Govt

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has said that the party will no longer accept questionable harvests of votes from inaccessible areas.

He further counselled the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government against compromising the integrity of the 2023 general elections, declaring that the nation’s major opposition party does not want to be short-changed again.

A statement by the special adviser to the national chairman on media and communications, Simon Imobo-Tswam, on Thursday while receiving the European Union Election Exploratory Mission to Nigeria, led by Mrs. Mette Bakken, at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja stated that PDP national chairman called on the European Union to send a high-level and large-sized observer mission to Nigeria to observe and monitor the 2023 general elections, especially given that Nigeria is a very populous country with a very large landmass.

He said, “We are prepared as a party to do the needful as far as the 2023 general elections are concerned. But we are worried about the tendency and capacity of the State to manipulate the critical technologies to our disadvantage. We need to pay close attention so that we are not short-changed again.

“There are security challenges in some states, I think six or so states. We hope government will stamp out the insecurity there early enough for elections to be held there with transparent outcomes. We will no longer accept questionable harvests of votes from inaccessible areas.

“In the past, those were areas where the ruling APC did what they love doing best: bringing votes that subverted the will of the people. Even though we are going to police our votes, it’s important that the EU sends a large number of observers ahead of the elections.”