The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended all electioneering and other activities in honour of #EndSARS campaigners who died during peaceful protests across the country.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said the party took the decision in honour of #EndSARS protesters killed during the attack by the military in Lekki area of Lagos and other parts of the country.
He said: “The PDP has put all its political and electioneering activities on hold as a further mark of honour for Nigerian youths who were killed at the Lekki Toll Gate as well as other killings that have occurred in various parts of our nation over the unfortunate fall-out of the #EndSARS peaceful protest.
“The PDP had earlier on Thursday night directed that its flags in all its offices nationwide be flown at half-mast in solidarity with the mood of the nation at this trying time.
“Also our party has been made aware of the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to postpone the pending bye-elections in six senatorial districts and nine state constituencies in 11 states of the federation, earlier scheduled for October 31, due to the crisis situation in the country.”
He said although the INEC decision came at a high cost to candidates and political parties, the party believed that the decision was a step in the right direction under the prevailing circumstance.
Ologbondiyan added: “In that regard, the PDP charges INEC to continue to monitor the situation and use the period to fine-tune its preparations to conduct peaceful, free, fair and credible elections as part of the much-needed panacea for the restiveness in the country.
“Our party urges the security agencies to also use the period to perfect their roles in electoral operations and tidy up all arrangements to guarantee the right atmosphere for peaceful and transparent polls where the safety of the voters, as well as the sanctity of the ballot box, are guaranteed.
“The PDP also restates its call for calm and prayers for our nation at this critical time in our national life, even as all hands must be on the deck in finding solutions and the way forward for our nation.”
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