The Tanimu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned national institutions, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), against actions and decisions it says are undermining democracy.

Using the recent derecognition of the Senator David Mark leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) by INEC as a case study, Turaki’s PDP alleged that national institutions appeared to have become willing tools in the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in its quiet to retain power in 2027.

The party noted that INEC must strive to resist all pressures by placing national interests far above the partisan considerations of the appointing authorities, adding that not doing so would place the country’s democratic journey at risk.

“It is now common knowledge that the ruling All Progressives Congress intends to win the next presidential elections at all costs, by hook or by crook.

“This desire has, for them, become an inevitable certainty that must be achieved, irrespective of the obvious impracticability staring them in the face.

“To achieve this, no boundary is respected, and nothing is too much to sacrifice-including derailing democracy, truncating the republic, and destroying Nigeria”, the camp stated through its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, on Thursday.

It faulted the decision INEC took on the leadership of the ADC, arguing that by its step, the commission had further heated up the system.

“National institutions have now become the executioners of this ill-conceived plan. No institution is too sacred or too fragile to be deployed on this mission-the judiciary, INEC, the clergy, among others.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has further heightened the already tense political atmosphere through its latest press statement on the derecognition of the David Mark-led NWC of the African Democratic Congress, based on its interpretation of the judgment of the Court of Appeal and other pending cases before various courts.

“While we concede that, semantically, the same words and sentences can convey different meanings, it is troubling that INEC’s default interpretation of matters concerning political parties consistently appears to favour the much-perceived and prevailing notion of an uncontested election-effectively handing a colourful coronation to its appointor and the incumbent president. In such circumstances, ulterior motives cannot be discounted.

The party also accused INEC carefully introducing measures aimed at stifling the operation of opposition parties, all allegedly geared towards ensuring a safe passage for the APC.

“The public has also observed a series of political party monitoring activities recently published by the Commission.

“While these activities fall within its statutory powers, the timing raises legitimate concerns. These activities are rumoured to result in the de-registration of opposition political parties- a development that would further injure our democracy”, it added.

The Turaki camp of the PDP specifically warned INEC against repeating past mistakes that threw the country into chaos.

It stated further, “We hereby passionately appeal to all national institutions, especially INEC, not to yield to partisan pressures or the influence of appointing authorities. They must place the interests of democracy and the country above all else.

“They should draw lessons from history and the conduct of their counterparts in past democratic republics, where many years after people are still battling to clear their names of acts done against the Nigerian people.

“This is a critical moment in our democratic journey, where the fragility and vulnerability of the polity are being tested to their limits. No individual or institution should stretch the patience of Nigerians beyond its present bounds.

“We must adopt a ‘country-first’ disposition that transcends partisan cleavages.” (Nigerian Tribune)