In the wake of the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections earlier slated for  Saturday, 16th February to 23rd February and 9th March for the Gubernatorial and State Assembly elections, the Presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has expressed displeasure over the move by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing it as a case of the hand of Esau but the voice of Jacob.

In a statement by the former Vice President released in Yola, the Adamawa capital, Atiku accused the incumbent government of been behind the reschedule stressing that “by instigating this postponement, the Buhari administration hopes to disenfranchise the Nigerian electorate in order to ensure that turn out is low on the rescheduled date, urging Nigerians to frustrate the alleged plans by coming out in even greater numbers on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively.

Noting that the Buhari administration has had more than enough time and money to prepare for these elections and the Nigerian people were poised and ready to perform their civic responsibility by voting in the elections earlier scheduled for Saturday, 16 February, 2019, he stressed that they are desperate and will do anything in their power to avoid their rejection by the Nigerian people, knowing that the Nigerian people are determined to reject them.

“Their plan is to provoke the public, hoping for a negative reaction, and then use that as an excuse for further anti-democratic acts. As such, I call on all Nigerians to be patient. We have tolerated the maladministration of this government for four years. We can extend our tolerance a few more days and give them our verdict via our votes.”

“Maintain the peace and be law abiding. Do not react to this provocation with anger, violence or any action that might be exploited by those who do not want this election to hold. Remain calm. We will overcome this. You can postpone an election, but you cannot postpone destiny,” he said.

“Please come out to vote on Saturday, 23 February and Saturday, 9 March respectively. Frustrate those who do not want this election to hold by coming out in very large numbers. That is the best antidote to their plans,” the statement added.

READ ALSO: I am deeply disappointed – President Buhari reacts to election postponement

Similarly, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has said that the ‘shoddy’ arrangements for this election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is a deliberate predetermined agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power even when it’s obvious to him that Nigerians want him out.

In a statement by Ike Abonyi, media aide to the PDP chairman, the opposition party stressed that the postponement which he described as part of a grand design by the All Progressives Congress (APC), to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost, clearly exposes INEC as a failure and he called on the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to immediately resign.

The PDP further disclosed that the ruling party in connivance with the INEC have been trying all options including but not limited to burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying of electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act, as he drew the attention of all lovers of democracy to a recent statement by President Buhari on an international medium that nobody can unseat him from office, as an indication of what he wants to do.

“Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them to cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable”.

“With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

“For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away,” Secondus said.

The PDP National Chairman who also said the action of the President has further demonstrated his insensitivity costing the huge cost after Nigerians including those who came home from abroad have all mobilized to their various constituencies, warned that the party will not accept anything short of a well organized electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition particularly members of the PDP.