The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has threatened to pull out of the peace accord it signed over comments credited to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who declared on a national television that members of the global democratic institutions that are working for a peaceful election in Nigeria would return to their countries in body bags.

To this end, the main opposition party noted that any situation that seeks to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) to abuse the tenets of the accord would definitely force it to review its signatory to the peace process.

The Director of Media and Publicity, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, at a press conference Wednesday, stated that it might have no option left than to allow its members to defend their votes with whatever that is available to them.

He stressed that the country belongs to all, noting that no individual or group, no matter how highly placed, could subjugate other citizens or seek to appropriate any sort of absolutism to themselves.

Ologbondiyan stated: “After due consideration of comments, threats and incendiary actions by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Buhari Presidency, which are directly inimical to a peaceful, free and fair election, the PDP is left with no option than to consider a review of its signatory in the national peace accord, if no action is immediately taken to curb this trend.

“Nigerians are still in a shock over comments by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who declared on a national television that members of the global democratic institutions that are working for a peaceful election in Nigeria will return to their countries in body bags. What a threat?

“We call on the international community to immediately impose a travel ban on el-Rufai for this inciting comment against peaceful elections in our country.

“Very importantly, the PDP calls on the National Peace Committee to note the infractions by the APC and its leaders to the peace accord, including the provocative shut down of all the stadia in Kano State by the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, in order to frustrate the PDP presidential campaign rallies in the state.

“We therefore call on the National Peace Committee to immediately summon el-Rufai on his inflammatory remarks against peaceful election in our country.”

The PDP spokesperson also lamented the plot to redeploy a former Chief Security Officer to APC leader, Bola Tinubu, CP Kayode Egbetokun, as Kwara state Commissioner of Police, where he has been handed the instruction to incite the people, cause pandemonium and pave the way for outright rigging in favour of Buhari and all other candidates on the platform of APC.

This, he said, was in line with plans by the Presidency and the APC to effect a mass deployment of top security officers, particularly the police, to intimidate, harass and manhandle Nigerians that will not support the self-succession bid of Buhari as well as aiding APC thugs to snatch ballot boxes and orchestrate violence in the elections.

Ologbondiyan noted: “It is necessary to state that the PDP is a party of peace and we are committed to the peace accord. However, the deployment of Kayode Egbetokun as Kwara CP directly negates the principle of the Peace Accord and can only hurt the fragile peace that currently exists in Kwara State.

“We wish to remind the acting Inspector General of Police Adamu Mohammed that his acceptability among Nigerians across party line was based on the pedigree, which was presented to Nigerians before his appointment.”

•Sourced from THISDAY report

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