At Last, Nigeria's Govt to Shift Elections?

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised alarm over what it described as the relentless scheming by the Jonathan Administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to push for another postponement of the general elections and called for imposition of global sanctions on whoever scuttles the polls.

In a statement issued in Dubai on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said the multi-pronged efforts to scuttle the elections as rescheduled include the use of some 23 portfolio political parties to seek a further shift in the election dates and the destabilisation of INEC’s election plan through the orchestrated removal of its Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

It said the same 23 satellite parties of the PDP that were used to push for the six-week postponement of the elections have again started testing the waters by pushing for a further shift in the elections in the six-states of the North East, ostensibly to allow the conclusion of the counter-insurgency battle and also to allow those displaced to return home.

‘’The plan is to use the same bogey of insecurity in the North East to push for another postponement in the elections. The signs are ominous indeed. The body language of the President and his party does not support the holding of elections. They are mortally afraid of losing because the use of PVCs and Card Readers have thwarted their rigging plans,’’ the APC said.

The party said while the 23 parties are pushing for the elections to be further postponed, the Jonathan Administration and the PDP are simultaneously forging ahead with their plan to remove Jega and replace him with a malleable acting Chairman whom, they believe, will do their bidding.

‘’Once they remove Jega, his replacement will either seek more time to organise the polls or simply jettison the plan to use Card Readers, thereby opening the door for those who have been buying up PVCs to use them.

‘’Is it not interesting that the same Administration that has been flaunting free and fair elections as a key achievement has now gone for the jugular of the same man who organised those polls? Is the man they don’t want not the same person who organised the 2011 polls which the Administration has described as free, fair and credible? What has now gone wrong between them and their poster boy for successful elections?” it queried.

APC warned that the consequences of another postponement of the elections would be dire indeed, “because it will create a constitutional crisis that is capable of endangering the country’s democracy and destabilising the country in its entirety.”

The party called on Nigerians, especially the civil society, to be very vigilant in the days ahead, as the cloud of uncertainty becomes thicker and the vultures begin to circle.

It also called on the international community to consider imposing stiff sanctions on key members of the Jonathan administration if they force another postponement or scuttle the polls.

‘’We believe that Nigerians themselves bear the utmost responsibility for the success of their nation’s democracy and the survival of their country, and we commend those who have stood up to be counted in the ongoing battle to have free and fair elections,” the APC said.

Meanwhile, a member of National Assembly, Senator Babajide Omoworare, has shed light on why the  PDP was planning to relieve Jega of his position before the rescheduled general elections.

Omoworare representing Osun-East Senatorial District of Osun State said while fielding questions from newsmen on a television programme that President Jonathan and PDP were not comfortable with the uncompromising attitude of the INEC chairman and so want him out.

He explained that Nigerians should not be surprised at the plot noting that it is an indication the President should no longer be taken for his words particularly on the rumoured plan to sack Jega.

He warned that any move to relieve Jega of his appointment is unconstitutional and undemocratic, adding that Sections 153 and 157 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria affirms the independence of INEC and procedure for appointment and removal of its chairman.

An APC senatorial candidate for Lagos West Senatorial District,  Solomon Adeola, at the weekend also said the PDP and the Presidency should stop deceiving Nigerians that they have no plans to sack the INEC chairman.

Adeola said the plan to sack Jega had been perfected and would be unfolded to Nigerians in few days.

Adeola, currently member of the House of Representatives representing Alimosho Federal Constituency, stated this when a team of U.S. Embassy officials paid him a courtesy visit at his Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja office.

While warning that further attempt to shift the polls wouldlead to constitutional crisis, the lawmaker added that the APC Senators who raised the alarm over Jega’s sack last week got the information from a very high ranking government official.

In another development, the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, has accused the APC in the state of training thugs that would cause electoral violence.

He made allegation while speaking to newsmen in Makurdi at the weekend even as he noted that the party was perfecting plans to rig the elections.

“They (APC) are also training thugs for the same purpose. This coming election is a complete different ball game,” he stated.

Suswam who observed that the APC also had plans to rig the election said the four suspects recently arrested by the Benue State command of the Nigeria Police with about 13,000 Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) last Thursday were members of the APC.

“Security reports available to me indicate that APC is planning to rig the forthcoming elections in the country.

“Four APC members were arrested by the Benue Police Command with a lot of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) few days ago,” he stated.

The governor described as “unfortunate” the situation where “some politicians are gathering PVCs with the aim of rigging the coming elections which is not just possible.”

He also condemned the actions of politicians intending to hijack card readers, insisting they were wasting their time as the machines cannot be manipulated.

Suswam therefore charged the leadership of the PDP at the three tiers of government to embark on massive voter education on the voting processes during the elections.

Daily Independent