Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Nigerians, party members and supporters to pray for peace and the success of the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
In a statement by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party cautioned all Nigerians and APC members to restrain from any act of electoral malpractice and irregularities.
“We should stay safe and work collectively to ensure that the general elections are free, fair, transparent and credible. Security agencies have been given the marching order to bring the full weight of our laws to bear on anyone that perpetrates violence or electoral offence no matter how highly placed.
“We encourage our members to come out to vote and protect the ballots. Our great party has enough support nationwide to win with a landslide. We must now work to ensure that the election is decided by one-man-one-vote, which guarantees our victory.
“We caution Nigerians and all involved in the electoral process not to be influenced by huge money the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is moving around to buy votes and compromise the system. Our future should not be mortgaged to the leaders of PDP who are using our commonwealth they stole over 16 years to seek a return to power,” the statement read.
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Similarly, the ruling party equally called on Nigerians to turn out en-masse and use their votes to send a clear message to treasury looters who want to hijack presidential power by hook or crook.
“The time has come for Nigerians to again reject the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their discredited candidates. Never again should Nigerians allow them return to power to continue embezzling our resources.
“We must all remember how, under the PDP’s 16-year watch, our commonwealth was wantonly privatised and used to fund their political activities. The world has been daily assailed by outcomes of investigations showing the humongous funds that past PDP administrations stole and laundered for private use.
“In the most inhumane manner, counter-insurgency votes were channeled to private pockets while terrorists ravaged communities, the citizenry and seized our territory. Our national economy was pushed to the verge of recession and cleverly papered over with voodoo economics employed by the PDP administrations.
“Confronted with the realities of a poorly-managed national economy and neglected infrastructure, the APC took over the administration of the country when Nigeria began slipping into recession. Commendably, President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration worked prudently to pull-out the country from recession.
“Today, the APC administration has degraded Boko Haram that had under the previous administration annexed and hoisted their flags in at least 28 local government areas in the northeast zone. We have also been surefooted in the fight against corruption, rebuilding our dilapidated infrastructure and diversifying our economy.
“While the choices that have presented themselves before us in these elections are many; the APC offers the best credible alternative in terms of an incorruptible presidential candidate that can sustain the march towards a national rebirth.
“We, therefore, call on our countrymen and women to choose between moving forward to the next level of economic growth, shared prosperity, infrastructural development, and secure future, which the APC and President Buhari offer, or going backward to the era of looting and plundering of our commonwealth by a few elites, which the PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar offer,” the statement read.