The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has reacted to a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2019 elections.
SDP alleged the statement was an indication that the ruling party would rig the 2019 general elections. This was the party’s response to the Senior Special Assistant to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Friday, where President Buhari was quoted to have said that the APC will win the 2019 general elections.
According to the statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alfa Mohammed, SDP made reference to Bauchi, Ekiti and Kogi elections which, according to him, recorded a high level of vote-buying and even ballot snatching in some instances.
Mohammed described these as negative indications that 2019 elections will allegedly be marred by the APC.
The statement read: “First of all, the examples of recent victories of the APC in recent by-elections are unfortunate because all of them from Ekiti to Bauchi and Kogi states experienced high cases of electoral fraud.
“There was vote-buying and ballot snatching, and of course the impoverishment of the people before elections made the people vulnerable.
“The APC has also engaged in intimidating the judiciary which remains the last hope on election matters. Judges have been arrested by this government for flimsy reasons while none has been convicted.
“So, these are negative indications that our democracy has been replaced by dictatorship but we are ready to lead Nigerians to the battlefield against the APC. This is a challenge and we will be up to the task.”
 has reacted to a statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2019 elections.){kind=link}