Presidential Election: PDP Denies Reaching Agreement With National Peace Committee

Here is a cleaner reconstruction of the article:

Presidential Election: PDP Says No Deal With Peace Committee, Insists on Court Action

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that its meeting with the National Peace Committee did not result in any agreement that would prevent it from challenging the outcome of the February 23, 2019 presidential election in court.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus said the committee, chaired by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, did not ask the party to abandon its plan to seek legal redress.

Secondus maintained that the PDP remained committed to pursuing its grievances through the courts, arguing that there could be no genuine peace without justice.

He said the party had made it clear during its meeting with the Peace Committee that allegations surrounding the conduct of the election needed to be addressed.

“We will go to court. Nobody will stop us from going to court. We will present all the facts before the courts, and we believe justice will be done,” Secondus said.

The PDP chairman also criticised the conduct of the presidential election, alleging widespread irregularities, voter intimidation and violence in some parts of the country.

He expressed concern over reports of deaths recorded during the election, particularly in the South-South, and accused security personnel of being used to intimidate voters in some PDP strongholds.

Secondus argued that the deployment of the military in parts of the South-South and South-East discouraged some voters from participating in the election.

He also questioned the voter turnout figures recorded in some northern states, including Borno, Yobe and Zamfara, compared with turnout in parts of southern Nigeria.

According to him, there were also allegations that smart card readers were not properly used in some areas, contrary to guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Secondus said the PDP would present evidence relating to these allegations as part of its legal challenge to the presidential election results.

He further accused the Federal Government of attempting to intimidate opposition figures, alleging that some prominent members of the opposition had been placed under surveillance and could be prevented from travelling outside the country.

The PDP chairman urged journalists and civil society organisations to remain vigilant and defend democratic institutions.

He also called on members of the armed forces involved in election duties to remain professional and politically neutral, stressing that elections were civil exercises and that security personnel should not treat any part of the country as an enemy territory.

Secondus reiterated that the PDP supported peace and stability but would not abandon its constitutional right to challenge the election outcome through the courts.