The presidency has reacted to allegations that there was on-going plot to rig the upcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

There were reports in some quarters that there was a plot to rig the elections following a recent meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police.

However, reacting to these allegations, Malam Garba Shehu, the president’s senior special assistant on media and publicity, denied the claim, saying that it would accept the outcome of the election.

Shehu said: “The president called the meeting cited by the PDP to warn in particular the INEC and the police, to prepare to give the nation a credible election.

“He said he expected nothing short of a free, fair and credible election.

“He said he had suffered election manipulation in 2003, 2007 and 2011 and would not like to have any Nigerian go through that again.

“He also warned against the intimidation of voters in any way and vowed that he was prepared to move with all the forces available to him against anyone who undermines the rights of any citizen.

“The meeting was short and straight to the point. It ended after five minutes.

“Furthermore, he asked the vice-president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, if he had anything to say and Osinbajo had added nothing to what the president said.

 “They started with the courts, then the EFCC, then to the police and now they are on the one-week old INEC.

“When will PDP allow our national institutions do their job?”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the presidency, the INEC and some security forces are joining forces to rig the upcoming Kogi governorship elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Kogi state governorship election is scheduled to be held this Saturday, November 21, while the Bayelsa governorship election will be held on December 5.