Date: 2011-04-12

The attention of the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to the various calls by opposition parties in the State for the cancellation of last Saturday’s National Assembly election results, alleging that the election was marred by mass rigging.

We view the allegation and the call for the cancellation of the election results as a cocktail of laughable and impenetrable nonsense.

Opposition parties, we learnt, held a press conference today calling on INEC to cancel the National Assembly election results in Kwara State based on false allegation, when in actual fact the overall verdict was that the election was generally peaceful, markedly transparent and highly credible.

The election was adjudged by both national and international observers as devoid of any report of malpractices, so little wonder why oppositions in the State are now crying wolf and questioning the credibility of the election.

What members of the opposition parties in the State fail to understand is that democracy is not about winning at all cost, as no party or candidate no matter their sense of entitlement has to win election as a matter of right.

However, we are not surprised that their stock in trade and the new tactics employed is to start crying foul each time they lose out at election, claiming mass rigging and all manners of excuses just to discredit the peaceful conduct of the election.

It is important to mention that this persecution complex by the opposition may have worked in the past but we wish to assure that this method can no longer work this time around.

If the opposition parties have any axe to grind or aggrieved whatsoever on the outcome of the election results arising from the National Assembly Election that was conducted on Saturday, April 9, 2011, needless to mention that the most appropriate place to seek redress is the law court, rather than disturbing the peace of the citizenry.

In the same vein, the PDP wishes to appeal to all political parties contesting the on-going 2011 general elections to learn to accept defeat in good faith in the interest of democracy and the country.

The PDP in the State maintained that election is all about winning and losing and therefore enjoined all political parties to accept whatever is the outcome of the election in good faith in order to forge ahead.

With the transparent manner the election in question was conducted, no one in his right senses would make such claims. The game is over; anyone who wants to win election now must truly work for it.

We also observe the desperate propaganda of the opposition which was meant to prepare grounds for this ridiculous claim to send signals to the outside world that they were rigged out, hence their call for the cancellation of the results.

Members of the opposition in the State are therefore enjoined to desist from causing unnecessary panic through spurious claims and warned not to foment trouble as their reaction shows that they were not ready to join hands with the State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki to develop the State.

By this call, by the opposition, it is our view that they were not ready for an enduring democracy and Kwarans would resist any form of violence from them or their collaborators because Kwara is a state of harmony.

We also call on security agencies to call opposition parties in the State to order and warn them not to do anything that could endanger the peace of the people of the State.

We therefore call on all Kwarans to resist and reject impostors and trouble makers whose concern was not to develop the State but to foment trouble and cause disaffection among its diverse people.

Alhaji Isiaka Danmairomo
Kwara PDP Publicity Secretary
12/04/2011