The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to Lauretta Onochie’s rejection as National Commissioner in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Senate. The party described the Senate’s rejection of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nomination of his Special Assistant on Social Media as the triumph of the Nigerian people.
The party in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, Tuesday alleged that Lauretta Onochie’s nomination was an attempt by the Buhari led-APC administration to corrupt and hijack the commission ahead of 2023 elections.
PDP stated that “the rejection of Onochie by Nigerians has saved the nation from very serious crisis as well as salvaged INEC and the entire Nigerian electoral process from a ruinous pollution that would have led to the collapse of our democratic order.
“The party asserts that Onochie’s vexatious nomination, in total affront to paragraph 14 of the 3rd schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was a very dangerous machination by the Buhari-led APC Presidency against our electoral process, in the attempt to subvert the will of the people in the 2023 elections,” it added.
Continuing, the statement reads:”The APC, in spite of its shenanigans, is aware that it will have difficulties winning election at any level in a free, fair and credible election and as such it is determined to rig every process ahead of the 2023 elections.
“Our party commends Nigerians including civil society organisations, the media as well as other political parties, for joining forces with the PDP in fighting for the sanctity of our electoral process by resisting Lauretta Onochie’s nomination.
“The stiff resistance by Nigerians across board in repelling this vicious attempt to hijack and pollute the electoral commission underscores their collective and unwavering determination to resist and kick out the APC in 2023, despite its shenanigans,” the statement added about Lauretta Onochie’s rejection.