Nigeria’s main opposition People’s Democratic Party said some presidential election results had been manipulated and it would challenge them, after a handful of early numbers gave a lead to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari and his All Progressives Congress party have worked with election officials “to alter the course of history and disenfranchise our people through the cancellation and manipulation of figures for results already announced at polling units, nationwide, in local government areas where our party, the PDP, had commanding votes,” Chairman Uche Secondus said in a statement Monday.
“This must now be resisted by every well-meaning Nigerian.”
Buhari won the first five of 36 states announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja, the capital, on Monday.
His main challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, took the Federal Capital Territory. The general election on Saturday was marred by delays, technical glitches and sporadic violence that killed at least 39 people.
Meanwhile, the opposition party has summoned its legal team, an indication that the party may be getting its house ready for a legal battle over the results of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly polls.
National Daily gathered that 24-hours after rejecting the results of the polls, alleging irregularities, the PDP summoned its legal team for a Tuesday meeting.
Reports say the meeting summoned by the main opposition party which will begin by 4pm at the Legacy House, Abuja, is expected to discuss the next legal line of action.
The notice of the meeting was sent by Kabir Turaki, former Minister of Special Duties, who told invitees to “appear in person as there will be no representation please.”
Recall that the PDP had alleged that the results being announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had been altered and therefore are unacceptable to the party.