Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji lai mohammed has again accused the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party of plans to precipitate violence and create a situation that would lead to an interim government in the country.
The minister spoke at a media pally with senior media executives in Abuja.
He noted that with just 12 days to the 2019 election, there was the need to “alert Nigerians to the evil machinations of the opposition, which is not campaigning to win the election but are planning how to scuttle or discredit it”.
The minister recalled that on Monday, January 21st 2019, he had earlier alerted the nation, to the plot by some opposition elements to scuttle the 2019 general elections by instigating widespread violence across the country based on credible intelligence.
He said this was part of moves by the opposition to push the nation into a constitutional crisis, with the plotters hoping they can leverage on that to push for an interim government.
“To underscore the seriousness of our alert, a week after our press
conference, the National Security Adviser (NSA) met with state
governors to also inform them of this same plan to scuttle the polls
via widespread violence. As I said at my last press conference, the
alarm we raised is based on credible intelligence”
Lai Mohammed said the alarm he earlier raised has not abetted “Today, still based on credible intelligence, we can reveal that the opposition is moving a step further. They are working hard to
discredit the forthcoming election before, during and after the polls.
Specifically, they are sending a delegation to some Western capitals,
including London, Brussels and Washington, DC, to push the concocted
line that the Buhari Administration has perfected the plan to rig the
polls.
They are therefore pushing for a rejection of the results if
the President wins re-election. They are also predicting carnage in
the event of the President’s victory” he said.
He further said that some of the incendiary rhetoric by the opposition was part of the plan. He accused the
Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) as one of the machineries been deployed by the opposition.
“They have targeted, for attack, the two key institutions that are
most critical to the success of the election: The Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Police. They have used every
malleable and malicious personality to make wild allegations against
INEC. Their strategy is simple: Discredit the election even before it
is held, and continue during and after the polls with a view to
convincing the West – which they believe they have won to their side
using lobbyist-propelled propaganda that the election is not
credible”.
On why the opposition should go this length the minister said it is because
“They know, and are convinced, that they cannot win a free, fair, credible and peaceful polls. The handwriting in on the wall for all discerning people to see. While President Buhari has
received warm and genuine reception and adulation from huge crowds everywhere he has gone to campaign, their candidate has been exposed to apathetic and thinning crowds! Their numbers just don’t add up!” he said.
He maintained that the Administration are undaunted by their antics, even though according to him it was “necessary to expose their evil
plans”
He reiterated the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to ensuring a free, fair and violence-free and called on Nigerians to be vigilant as the final countdown to the election begins.
