The All Progressives Congress (APC) believes the outcome of the general elections in 2019 will be determined by the votes from the electorate.

The party said this in a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr Yekini Nabena, on Wednesday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

“In any case, the 2019 elections will not be won by cheap campaign ground antics but actual votes from the Nigerian electorate who are wise and know who is working in their interest,” it said.

“Never again will we return governance of our dear country to the hands of those that selfishly have held us back for years.”

The APC was reacting to allegations that it was responsible for the inability of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential contestant to secure the Eagles Square for his declaration.

Contrary to the claims, it explained that the managers of the Abuja International Conference Centre and Eagles Square had said they would not allow campaigns in the facility on Wednesday, to avoid disruption of workflow at the Federal Secretariat, the main hub of civil servants in Abuja.

“The allegation is unnecessary and misplaced. We should not be dragged into a private transaction involving entities we have no business with,” the ruling party stressed.

The statement comes hours after former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, declared his intention to run for the presidency in the 2019 elections on the PDP platform while addressing a crowd of supporters somewhere in Abuja.

The inability of the presidential aspirant to use the Eagle Square for his declaration has sparked criticism in some quarters.

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, also condemned the development in a tweet, saying the Eagle Square belongs to all Nigerians.

He said, “The refusal to allow Senator Kwankwaso’s campaign to utilise Eagle Square for his declaration, despite an earlier approval, sends a wrong message about our democracy, particularly the tolerance level in our politics.”

•Text (excluding headline) courtesy of Channels TV.

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