Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused the Federal Government of intimidation and anti-democratic actions during the recently concluded by-elections across the country.

But the Presidency dismissed the claims as baseless, insisting that the PDP was only reacting bitterly to its losses at the polls.

The August 9 by-elections, held to fill vacant senatorial and House of Representatives seats created by death and resignation of former legislators, were trailed by allegations of vote-buying, violence, and low voter turnout.

At the end of the exercise, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won 12 constituencies, the PDP secured just one, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) took two, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) won one.

However, the PDP, alongside other opposition parties including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the NNPP, rejected the results, accusing the ruling APC of using federal might to manipulate the elections in several states.

In a communiqué issued after its meeting in Gusau, Zamfara State, on Saturday, the PDP Governors’ Forum condemned what it described as the militarisation of the polls.

It said: “The Forum condemns the over-militarisation of last Saturday’s by-elections characterised by widespread irregularities, vote-buying and violence, and calls on Nigerians to be more circumspect in protecting their votes.

“The Forum expresses profound gratitude to members and supporters of the PDP nationwide for their steadfast loyalty in the face of serious intimidation and untold anti-democratic actions of the APC-led Federal Government in the last by-elections.”

The governors further praised the resilience of PDP members against what they described as “orchestrated defections,” stressing that the distraction would not diminish the party’s appeal or the public’s longing for “affordable living and relative security experienced under PDP-led administrations.”

They urged Nigerians to stay committed to PDP principles despite government intimidation, describing the situation as a reflection of APC’s desperation.

“This sad situation should only be seen as the sign of the desperation of a political party with no agenda, no vision and doomed to face inevitable rejection by the masses,” the communiqué added.

Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed the allegations.

He said: “What anti-democratic actions and intimidation are they talking about? You contested an election and you lost. It just shows that the PDP have lost it.

“Instead of admitting that they have failed, they are making up excuses. There is nothing undemocratic in the posture of this government.”

Ajayi argued that opposition parties were not harassed or restricted during campaigns or voting, insisting their candidates enjoyed security protection. According to him, a strong opposition is in the interest of democracy.

He, however, accused the PDP and its allies of being in “total disarray,” stressing that the Tinubu administration remained focused on economic repositioning rather than “falsehood and excuses.”

Efforts to reach APC’s national leadership were unsuccessful on Saturday.

But Saleh Zazzaga, Chairman of the APC Forum in North-Central, dismissed the PDP governors’ stance.

He told Punch that, “Is there any PDP again? Which faction of the PDP? There is no PDP again now. There are factions. So, we don’t take them seriously. They are divided. So, we have nothing to intimidate anyone with.

“The elections show that we are fully on ground and that President Tinubu is coming back. The masses are truly with us and that was why they voted our party massively at the last by-election.”

Zazzaga highlighted APC’s victories in Kano, Kogi and Zamfara as proof of its dominance, describing the polls as “a testing ground for 2027.”

He also dismissed the PDP governors’ communiqué, noting that they did not represent the highest decision-making body of their party.

“Are the governors the highest body of the party? They are not the highest body of the party now.

“The party has their own board members and leaders. So, if the governors issue statements based on certain reasons, we don’t take them seriously,” he said.

Zazzaga concluded that opposition parties naturally criticise the ruling party, regardless of its performance.

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