Discover how the All Progressives Congress (APC) threatened to form a parallel government if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rigged the 2015 Nigerian general elections.
In 2014, the All Progressives Congress (APC) said that it would set up a parallel government if the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stole the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.
The threat was backed up by statements from the chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.
The APC’s warning shows how important free and fair elections are for keeping a country peaceful and stable.
APC’s warning of a parallel government in response to election rigging
A media report from November 21, 2014, claims the APC threatened to form a parallel government if the 2015 general elections were rigged.
John Odigie-Oyegun, APC national chairman at the time, and VP Yemi Osinbajo both made statements supporting the claim.
Mandy News also obtained the video which confirms the claim as true.
Yemi Osinbajo’s statement on the parallel government on Channel TV
In an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels TV on January 4, 2015, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo reaffirmed his stance on APC forming a parallel government, with the conversation occurring at 25:47 in the 56:20-long video.
In-depth analysis of APC’s threat
In the lead-up to Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, tensions were high as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the then-ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), prepared to battle it out for control of the government. Amidst this heated atmosphere, a media report from November 21, 2014, claimed that the APC had threatened to form a parallel government if the PDP rigged the elections.
Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that the claim was factual. Several sources corroborated the story, revealing that APC leaders had indeed made statements suggesting that they would establish a parallel government if the elections were rigged in favor of the PDP.
In August 2014, John Odigie-Oyegun, who was the national chairman of the APC at the time, said something similar. His sentiments were later echoed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during a town hall meeting in Washington, DC, also in 2014.
Osinbajo talked about how important free and fair elections are and said that the ruling PDP government was responsible for making sure elections were fair. He said that crises wouldn’t happen if elections were run fairly, and he used the election on June 12 as an example.
Osinbajo said that if the APC didn’t get the votes it deserved because of fraud, the party would have to set up a parallel government. A parallel government is an alternative form of government that runs alongside the main government in power. It is often rebellious. In Nigeria, such an act is considered a treasonable offense under Section 37 of the country’s criminal code.
Throughout Nigeria’s history, there have been no recorded instances of a full-fledged parallel government. However, the country has experienced situations where groups like Boko Haram have attempted to establish a state within a state by seizing control of villages and towns in the northeast.
The APC’s threat to form a parallel government if the 2015 elections were rigged was a big statement that showed how politics were at the time. Even though the elections led to a peaceful transfer of power from the PDP to the APC in the end, Nigerian politics is still very worried about what could happen if there is election fraud.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, the claim that the APC vowed to form a parallel government if the PDP rigged the 2015 elections is true and fact-based. The threat shows how important it is for a country to have free and fair elections to maintain peace and stability.
As long as Nigeria has problems like election fraud and political violence, it is important for all political parties to put transparency, fairness, and accountability at the top of their list of priorities during the election process.
