The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of bringing in mercenaries from Niger to cause violence during the elections.

According to Vanguard, the party said the foreigners have been given accommodation by APC and have been instructed to start violence immediately President Buhari loses the presidential elections.

The PDP made the allegations in a statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Friday, February 1, 2019.

Calls for invetigation

The party also criticised APC for inviting Governors from Niger Republic to its Kano rally which held on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

The PDP also called on security agencies to investigate the presence of the Governors at the rally.

The statement said “The presence of the Niger Republic Governors at President Buhari’s rally signposts a direct assault on the credibility of the Presidential elections. This is particularly against the backdrop of INEC’s plans to allow Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in that country to vote in our election, a situation that opens the way for aliens to infiltrate as IDPs and participate in our elections. 

“Our apprehensions are accentuated by INEC’s recent mass creation of additional polling units which have not been properly designated and which may be deployed for the perpetuation of monumental electoral fraud. We note how Kano State, in 2015, delivered 1.9 million votes to the APC presidential candidate in circumstances devoid of transparency and credulity.

 “Moreover, the promise by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state to deliver five million votes to Presidential Buhari in the 2019 elections is predicated on the unfettered opening of our international borders to foreign political interests.”

“The PDP demands an urgent and thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the presence of politicians and thugs from Niger Republic at the APC presidential rally in Kano on Thursday.

“Our security agencies must immediately investigate and lay in the public domain the circumstances leading to their presence, which more or less confirms that the APC has lost all domestic credibility and has assumed a desperate mode.

 “The APC and the Presidency must immediately explain the roles being played by Issa Moussa, Governor of Zinder and his counterpart from Maradi, Zakiri Umar both of the Niger Republic, who were sighted decked in the attires and official logos of the APC, in our political affairs.

“President Buhari and the APC, in their desperation have compromised our territorial integrity as a nation and this portends grave danger to our national security and the sanctity of our electoral process. 

“For a nation contending with insurgency and banditry, the involvement of mercenaries from neighboring countries in the APC rally must be condemned by all and sundry. This is particularly against the backdrop of claims by President Buhari that killer herdsmen ravaging our nation are mercenaries who are infiltrating from the Sahel region,” the PDP added.

Nigerians react as Buhari endorses Kano Governor, Ganduje

At the APC rally in Kano state, President Buhari endorsed the second term bid of the Governor of the state, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and some Nigerians on Twitter are not happy.

Here are some of the reactions below:

According to reports, Governor Ganduje was purportedly caught on video allegedly receiving bribes from contractors in Kano state.