Tensions flared following the conclusion of Nigeria’s August 9 by-elections as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors accused the Federal Government of manipulating the process, while the Presidency and leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dismissed the charges.
The elections were conducted to replace vacant Senate and House of Representatives seats. Results showed APC won 12 constituencies, PDP one, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) two, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) one.
PDP Governors Condemn Over-Militarisation
In a statement released after its meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, the PDP Governors’ Forum alleged that the process was marred by irregularities and intimidation.
The communiqué said:
“The Forum condemns the over-militarisation of last Saturday’s by-elections characterised by widespread irregularities, vote-buying and violence, and calls on Nigerians to be more circumspect in protecting their votes.
“The Forum expresses profound gratitude to members and supporters of the PDP nationwide for their steadfast loyalty in the face of serious intimidation and untold anti-democratic actions of the APC-led Federal Government in the last by-elections.”
The PDP governors maintained that the ruling party’s tactics would not weaken the public’s growing desire for change.
Presidency Counters with Rebuttal
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, rejected the PDP’s claims.
He said, “What anti-democratic actions and intimidation are they talking about? You contested an election and you lost. It just shows that the PDP have lost it. Instead of admitting that they have failed, they are making up excuses. There is nothing undemocratic in the posture of this government.”
Ajayi argued that security agencies protected all candidates equally and stressed that opposition participation was never suppressed.
APC Defends Its Electoral Strength
Speaking separately, Saleh Zazzaga, Chairman of the APC Forum in North-Central, asserted that the results reflected APC’s popularity.
“The elections show that we are fully on ground and that President Tinubu is coming back. The masses are truly with us and that was why they voted our party massively at the last by-election,” he said.
Zazzaga pointed to APC’s strong performance in Kano, Kogi, and Zamfara as indicators of its readiness for 2027.
Frontpagenews.ng reports that the opposition parties, however, remain resolute in their rejection of the results, insisting they were robbed of fair competition.
