Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, has faulted the exclusion of the PDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Labour Party (LP) from the Rivers State Assembly bye-electiona, saying it is an ‘arrant nonsense and tyranny of a despotic cabal’ desperate to rig the 2027 general elections.’
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had confirmed that the three parties will not participate in the February 21 Rivers State House of Assembly bye-elections.
INEC was announced in Port Harcourt by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who said only seven political parties met the requirements and were cleared for the poll.
Chief George declared that “INEC is only acting like a megaphone for a cabal in the Presidency desperate to return to power in 2027”.
The elder statesman said, “I strongly believe the question patriotic Nigerians should ask now is this? Is INEC now an arm of APC?
“We need to ask this question and, if need be, escalate this matter globally. How can INEC be disqualifying political parties this way? Is it because INEC wants APC to return to Aso Rock in 2027? Did Adolf Hitler even behave this way from 1933 to 1945 in Germany?
“What exactly is going on in this country? The APC-led Federal Government appears preoccupied with political positioning ahead of 2027, even if it means weakening institutions, suffocating the opposition and shamelessly using state agencies to perpetrate these undemocratic acts,” George stated.
He said a recent example was the invasion and sealing of the PDP national headquarters in Abuja without any court order.
“All our congresses from wards to local governments and states, including the convention, were done legally. So, who invited the police to invade our headquarters?
“Who instructed INEC to disqualify our party from participating in various elections coming up? Is the APC-led Federal Government turning Nigeria into a one-party state, ahead of the next general elections in 2027?” He quarried.
Chief George, however, added that it will be painful if those taking those undemocratic decisions, through their actions, will reenact what happened in 1962 in Nigeria.
“That was about 64 years ago. Some of these characters in INEC weren’t born yet, so they don’t know they are playing with fire.
“What happened between 1962 and 1966 has painfully taught us that seemingly small political infractions, when ignored, can snowball into national disasters.”
He added that the powers-that-be then thought they were dealing with the opposition party, but they didn’t know they were pulling apart this country, and their devilish intentions eventually led to the collapse of the First Republic, which unfortunately dovetailed into the civil war between July 6, 1967 and January 15, 1970, when more than two million Nigerians were killed.
