PDP suspends political, electioneering activities

Nigeria's largest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disclosed it has suspended all its political and electioneering activities due to the ongoing national crises.

The party made this known in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday, October 24 in Abuja.

Ologbondiyan explained that the decision was a further mark of honour for Nigerian youths who were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos State as well as other killings that had occurred in various parts of Nigeria over the fall-out of the #EndSARS peaceful protests, Daily Post said.

He also commended the decision of the INEC to postpone pending 15 by-elections earlier scheduled for Oct. 31, due to the situation in the country.

According to him, INEC should continue to monitor the situation in the country and use the period to fine-tune its preparations to conduct peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

Recall that INEC on Wednesday postponed the by-elections indefinitely in six senatorial districts and nine state constituencies in 11 states.

Ologbondiyan said: “although such comes at a high cost to candidates and political parties, we hold that it is a step in the right direction under the prevailing circumstances.

“In that regard, the PDP charges INEC to continue to monitor the situation and use the period to fine-tune its preparations to conduct peaceful, free, fair and credible elections as part of the much-needed panacea for the restiveness in the country.”

Ologbondiyan urged security agencies to also use the period to perfect their roles in electoral operations.

He also called on them to tidy up all arrangements to guarantee the right atmosphere for peaceful and transparent polls where the safety of the voters, as well as the sanctity of the ballot box, is guaranteed.

“The PDP also restates its call for calm and prayers for our nation at this critical time in our national life, even as all hands must be on the deck in finding solutions and the way forward for our nation,” he said.