Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial, says the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 2019 general elections will be critical to the future of Nigeria.
Abaribe expressed the view at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat, in Abuja on Thursday when he paid an appreciation visit to the leadership of the party after his release from the cell of Department of Sate Service (DSS).
“Let me say that the present INEC as it is constituted are also people on the brink of history. What they do and what they don’t do will have an effect on whether we have a country or not.
“I believe that when people are challenged and confronted historically at defining moments for the nation like we have today, they will rise up to expectation.’’
Abaribe said he was at the party secretariat to thank the PDP National Working Committee members for standing by him during his ordeal with the operatives of the DSS.
He advised Nigerians to get their Permanent Voter Cards ready for 2019 general elections.
Abaribe was on Friday arrested and detained by the operatives of DSS and released on Tuesday after securing administrative bail.
Abaribe said the officers took him to his house for search on the allegation that he was sponsoring a terrorist group.
“When I was arrested and I was taken to my house for it to be searched, in the warrant of arrest for the search of my house, what they said was that I was a sponsor of terrorism.
“And I wanted to know subsequently how I would sponsor terrorism and they put there in bracket that I was aiding and sponsoring a proscribed organisation, IPOB.
“Everybody in Nigeria knows that I signed the bail bond for Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB. If signing the bail bond means that I’m now a sponsor of IPOB what it means also is that every Nigerian should be ready.’’
Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, has said that Abaribe has nothing to worry about.
“INEC is working hard to give Nigerians a credible, free and fair general election in 2019. Several measures are being put in place to ensure that the Commission achieves this aim. Therefore, the senator has absolutely nothing to worry about.’’