by Kolapo Olapoju
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has once again, called for an investigation into the audio tape released by an army captain, Sagir Koli.
The opposition party insists that the tape cannot be described as fabricated without conducting a proper and thorough forensic investigation to determine its authenticity.
The party issued a statement on Sunday, February 22, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, saying that the allegation and accompanying evidence is too serious to be disregarded by the government.
According to the APC, it becomes more pertinent for the tape to be looked into, because of the role the military allegedly played in it.
The statement by the APC said: “If the government officials and politicians whose voices were heard on the tape are not interested in clearing their name, what of the military institution that was dragged into the show of shame? Has the integrity of the military not been compromised by the alleged role of a General and hundreds of his troops in the rigging saga?”
“First, those whose voices were heard on the tape rushed to deny there was any such meeting. Later, after they were confronted with a preponderance of evidence, they started owning up one by one, starting with Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan, then Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and then Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose, even though they all denied the meeting was about rigging. Of course Nigerians know better.”
“But these men, on the basis of their initial denial, are no longer credible as far as the rigging tape is concerned, hence it is necessary to have an independent investigation of the whole issue.”
“Can anyone listen to a non-existent audio tape? This confusion in the government circles is the clearest indication yet that they were so panicked by the revelation that they could not fashion out a coherent response to it, hence the discordant notes by the major culprits and their oga at the top!”
“We sympathize with them, but we are more worried about the effect this revelation will have on a respectable national institutional like the military, which was dragged into the rigging mess. This is why even the military itself must carry out its own investigation.”
“If an Army General could be so bullied into submission by political partisans, to the point where he said he will cry, what will they not do to any other military officer or men? Does this whole rigging saga not call into question the role of the military in elections?”
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