by Kolapo Olapoju

The All Progressives Congress (APC) claims that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and the ruling party, Peoples Democratic Party, are pushing for a further postponement of the 2015 general elections.

The opposition party stated that the PDP plans to manipulate the elections by forcing out Prof. Attahiru Jega, the Chairman of the electoral commission, and replacing him with someone who would be ready to dance to their tune and rule against the use of permanenent voters cards and card readers at the polls.

APC made the allegations on Sunday, March 1, through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, saying that PDP had employed the services of 23 political parties to keep pushing for further election postponement while it concentrates on perfecting a plan to rig the elections.

“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.”

“Once they remove Jega, his replacement will either seek more time to organize 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 organized those polls? Is the man they don’t want not the same person who organized 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.”

“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. However, we also believe that the international community has a role to play in helping to check the desperadoes who are using the Laurent Gbagbo rule book as if it was made for them, and who will not hesitate to bring the whole system crashing down on all if that is what it will take for them to perpetuate themselves in powe.”

“Nigeria is too important to be toyed with or allowed to go under. For example, Nigerians make up more than 56% of the estimated ECOWAS population of 300 million. A destabilized Nigeria, therefore, is a destabilized West Africa and, indeed, a hobbled Africa! That is why we believe a travel ban and tough economic sanctions from the international community against these agents of destabilization will be in order. This is a patriotic call.”

Kolapo Olapoju