The Peoples Democratic Party has accused President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress, of arm twisting security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig Saturday’s polls.

The party levelled the accusation at a news conference on Wednesday, addressed by its National Publicity Secretary and Director, Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The text of the statement of the press conference reads: “Gentlemen of the press, after the widely condemned rigging machinations by the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress that frustrated our electoral process and led to the painful postponement of the February 16 Presidential election, the fear stricken Buhari Presidency has launched a more ferocious plot with INEC and security agencies to ambush the rescheduled elections and foist General Muhammadu Buhari on our nation.

“But we want to assure them that their evil plots will come to naught.

“Since the postponement, the Buhari Presidency and APC have been breathing down on the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in a desperate and feverish bid to consolidate their control of the operations of the commission and execute its rigging plot.

“At a meeting held in Buhari Presidency/APC situation room in the Presidential Villa last night, where Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, the Managing Director of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Hadiza Bala Usman, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mustapha Boss, among others, were in attendance, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) were directed to issue out result sheets to APC agents to falsify and declare results in favour of the APC.

“Intelligence at our disposal reveals that the INEC Chairman has succumbed to back channel bullying by the Buhari Presidency and APC to accede to their demand to replace Electoral Officers (EOs) in various critical states with APC agents who will vehemently execute President Buhari’s rigging plans in the February 23, Presidential election.

“Also our party has full details of how the Department of State Services (DSS) has been interfering with operations of critical departments of INEC, including the ICT department, to do APC bidding.

“The PDP also has details of the meeting last night by President Buhari, some APC northern governor and Service Chiefs last night, whereupon pressure was mounted on the Service Chiefs in connection with the APC rigging plans.