Ikenna Atanah
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement on Sunday, September 20, applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for ensuring the credible conduct of the Edo State governorship election.
The commendation statement was issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a news conference in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan also implored the president to continue in the spirit of ensuring that the people were allowed to freely choose their leaders at all elections.
He urged President Buhari to continue on the same path for posterity.
The PDP spokesman, however, said the Edo election would serve as a loud lesson to “political godfathers” that power belongs only to God.
“He confers through the people; and that no matter how an individual strives to lord it over others; the will of God, through the people, will always prevail,” he said.
The PDP commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for its innovations during the Saturday election.
He charged the commission to extend the process to future elections, especially the forthcoming governorship election in Ondo State.
He added: “Our party also notes the efforts of the INEC under Prof. Yakubu Mahmood;in ensuring that the Edo election was conducted in a manner that was largely adjudged to be free; fair; transparent; and credible.
“Nigerians hope that what we have witnessed in Edo will not be an off-season procedure in the commission. We demand that this credible process applies to all our elections.
“The PDP applauds the use of the virtual portal by INEC to upload results directly from the polling unit; the base of our election, which made it impossible for electoral violators to hijack this electoral process.
“It is our hope in the PDP, this newfound image of INEC will gather more thresholds in future elections; particularly the October 10 governorship election in Ondo State.
“We, however, urged INEC to strengthen its processes, particularly in the area of card readers; to forestall the type of delays witnessed in the accreditation of voters in Edo.
“Our party also notes the improvement in the activities of our security agencies compared to past elections. We hope that our security organs will continue in this stead in future elections.
“The Edo election has indeed shown that credible elections are possible in our country; if we play by the rules.”