Edo PDP urges international communities to checkmate malpractices and lost of lives during elections
ABIODUN JIMOH
Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Edo State chapter, Chief Dan Orbih has called on international communities to take necessary actions to checkmate the malpractices and lost of lives that characterized the just concluded general elections in Nigeria.
He noted that if not properly checkmated, it would become a springboard to other Africa nations in their elections.
Chief Orbih, made the remarks just before a close door meeting with, Shashank K. Iyer, Political Officer of the United States Consulate General, Lagos on Tuesday in Benin-City, Edo State capital.
He expressed that the world stand to lose a lot when leaders watched helplessly as blood of innocent souls were used to water the seed of democracy as it happened in Nigeria.
“To me, and to most of the party members in Edo State, we believed very seriously that the world stands to lose a lot when we watched helplessly that innocent lives were lost just because of an election, and the world will be watching and looking away.
“Except very serious actions are taken to condemn the act on what just happened in Nigeria. It will be a springboard for other Africa nations to think that the way to go is that whoever is in government should do everything at all cost to remain in power, even at the expense of killing people.
“That is why we feel strongly that there is more that is expected other than foreign nations sending observers to come and watch events when elections are conducted in this country,” he said.
The PDP chairman, who recommended sanctions against any electoral offenders noted that when fully carried out the sanction will discourage political class from unleashing electoral violence on electorate and opposition party members.
While noting that democracy is the preferred option of government, Orbih however urged all lovers of democracy to stand up to condemn the country’s slide to dictatorship.
He however appealed to the incoming members of the 9th National Assembly to amend the electoral laws with a view to put an end to malpractices and other electoral related violence.
“You came in at a time when we were just robbing minds arising from the just concluded elections in Nigeria. Let me use this opportunity to say that the just concluded elections in Nigeria were the most perverted, fraudulent and unreliable elections ever conducted in the history of our democracy.
“The elections essentially were marred with ballot snatching, stuffing of ballot boxes and more importantly a lot of innocent lives were lost in the course of this elections. You will agreed with me that you don’t use the blood of innocent people to water the seed of democracy,” he added.
