By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS
Nigeria's opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) party has slammed accusations of electoral "bias" leveled by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) against the chairman of the country's Independent National Election Commission (INEC).
In a statement, APC spokesman Garba Shehu described the accusation – made by Godsdey Orubebe, the ruling party's collation agent at the national collation center, against INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega on Tuesday – as an act of "drama."
"The bizarre show of shame by Orubebe underpins a larger plot by the PDP and the [Goodluck] Jonathan government to foment a crisis and subvert our hard-won democracy," Shehu said in a statement.
"As disgraceful as the action by Orubebe was this morning, it typifies the kind of thing Nigerians should expect from the PDP and its agents, in an expression of their desperation and pent-up frustrations with the popular decisions of Nigerians in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections," the spokesman said.
He added: "We cannot underrate the frustrations of these people [the PDP]; we anticipate that they will not hesitate to do the unthinkable to subvert the course of the electoral process and, indeed, democracy in the country."
Orubebe criticized Jega as the latter prepared to announce presidential election results from different states of Nigeria.
"We have lost confidence in what you are doing," Orubebe told Jega angrily. "You are tribalistic. You are selective… We don't believe in you anymore. You are compromised. And we won't take it from you," said Orubebe.
He went on to accuse the INEC of ignoring earlier complaints lodged by the ruling party about alleged voting irregularities.
The election commission chief, for his part, dismissed the allegations.
"It is improper for any party agent to do so. For that reason, I did not take it, because other party agents and the media could be watching," he said.
In his statement, Shehu said: "Orubebe's drama… is just act one, scene one in a plot that has many more acts and scenes ahead. The elements of the drama might involve a breach of law and order."
"We therefore call on Nigerians to be watchful, vigilant and prayerful, and remain resolute to protect our democracy from the machinations of agents-provocateurs," he concluded.
APC candidate Muhammadu Buhari is leading the presidential race against incumbent Jonathan in the 29 states – out of 36 states – where results have been officially announced by the INEC.
The winner of the presidential race must win more than 50 percent of all valid votes, plus a mandatory 25 percent in two-thirds of the country's 36 states.
If no candidate is able to win outright, the two frontrunners will compete for a simple majority in a runoff vote.
Aggrieved parties have 30 days from the election to legally challenge final poll results.
