INEC lacks capacity to conduct free and fair general elections in 2019 – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the silence by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged discovery of thousands of its Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at the private residence of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Lawal Daura, has indicted the commission and places a huge doubt over its integrity.

The PDP in a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the current development showed that INEC lacked the capacity to conduct free and fair general elections in 2019.

The party urged the National Assembly to commence investigation into the veracity of the allegation and look into the extent of involvement of Prof. Yakubu Mahmood “in this clear effort to undermine the integrity of the 2019 general elections.”

The PDP said, “Since the news of the sordid discovery broke, neither the INEC Chairman nor any other officer of the commission, had offered any explanation to Nigerians, a development that suggests the
commission’s complicity in the allegation.

“The PDP says Prof. Mahmood should stop playing the ostrich and immediately come out clear and inform Nigerians how thousands of electoral materials as sensitive as PVCs, under his watch, found its way to the custody of a kinsman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant.

“Already, Nigerians are aware that a blood relation of President Buhari is in charge of operations in INEC.

“On account of this established relationship between President Buhari and this INEC official, Mahmood owes Nigerians explanation as to the source of the PVCs allegedly found in possession of Daura.”