*Party flays calls for Jonathan to re-contest, opposes plan to impeach Enugu dep gov
*TMG backs commission over control of soldiers
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Nigeria may be able to organize truly free, fair, credible and transparent elections in the nearest future if the recent comments by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Attahiru Jega reflect the thinking of the electoral commission.
In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said three issues stand out in comments credited to the INEC boss: that hooded security personnel would no longer be allowed during elections, that the security paraphernalia in future elections should be under the control of INEC and that the Commission will use e-card readers for the 2015 general elections.
It said if indeed the INEC boss meant what he said, then it is a breakthrough of sort in Nigeria’s long quest to hold elections that are not only free, fair and transparent, but are seen to be so by the local and international community.
APC however, said it would hold Prof. Jega to his promises to avoid a repeat of the situation in the past when promises made by the electoral chief were not kept.
‘’During the voter’s registration exercise, Prof. Jega vowed that anyone who engages in double or multiple registration would be prosecuted. However, some parties who probably had an advanced knowledge that his statement was an empty threat apparently encouraged their members to engage in double or multiple registrations, thus gaining undue advantage over others, yet they were never prosecuted.
‘’Also, during the last Ekiti Governorship Election, Prof. Jega announced that colour-coded ballot papers would be used in different local governments to prevent election fraud, but that never happened and no reason was given for the failure. This is why we intend to hold Prof. Jega to every word he said in connection with the key issues mentioned above,’’ the party said.
APC recalled that before the Osun governorship election earlier this month, the party warned that the use of hooded security personnel would encourage hoodlums with access to police or DSS uniforms to invade the state and perpetrate mayhem in the name of providing security.
‘’Sadly, that is exactly what happened during the election. In fact, media reports have said at least one person is now being prosecuted after he and others were found wearing black T-shirts with the inscription ‘Police’ in front and ‘DSS’ on its back during the Osun election. Is there any clearer evidence that some of those who came to Osun in hoods were actually fake security agents?’’ the party queried.
It also recalled that on May 26th, 2014, the APC issued a statement in which it tasked INEC to immediately commence the process that will lead to the use of the e-card reader for the elections in Ekiti and Osun States, if indeed the electoral body is committed to ensuring that the polls are free, fair and transparent.
‘’If that advice had been heeded by INEC, perhaps the allegations of electoral fraud, and the litigation following the elections in both states, would not have arisen.
‘’As we said in the May 26th statement, ‘Impersonation, multiple voting and endless altercations and associated tension will be eliminated at the voting centres with the use of e-card reader and not by any other means. Also, the e-card reader will ensure the automatic recording of all accredited voters with verified permanent voter’s cards in such a way that does not lend itself to manipulation, thus preventing the falsification of results at the collation centres’,’’ APC said.
The party challenged INEC to put its money where its mouth is by using October’s Governorship Election in Adamawa State to test the measures that will ensure credible elections in 2015, including barring hooded security personnel, taking charge of the security men and women to be deployed for the election and using e-card reader to forestall electoral fraud.
In another development, the South East leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday dismissed calls for President Goodluck Jonathan to re-contest his position in the next year’s general election, saying he (Jonathan) was incapable and less than transparent to fix a complex Nigeria.
Reacting to the meeting of South-East PDP leaders at Umuahia, Abia State on Sunday, which alleged marginalization of the zone in recent postings and promotions by police and allocation of polling booths by INEC, Zonal Publicity Secretary of the APC, Osita Okechukwu therefore warned the zone “on the danger of putting all our eggs in one basket and the futility of adopting a clueless, incapable and less than transparent president once again and expecting different result.”
The statement continued: “For the avoidance of doubt, we have nothing personal against our dear president, but our candid assessment is that he is clueless, incapable and less than transparent to fix a complex Nigeria.
“Otherwise, neither the Police Service Commission and the Police Council nor the Inspector General of the Police Force, can promote top officers to the rank of DIG and AIG without the perusal of the C-in-C. We are yet to hear from the South East PDP on the cogent reason adduced by our dear president for the unceremonious sack of Lt General Azubuike Ihejirika.”
On INEC allocation of new polling units, APC challenged the South East PDP to forthwith unravel what transpired, since they nominated the National and Resident Electoral Commissioners, who represent the zone adding that Senator Andy Uba heads INEC Committee in the Senate.
In Enugu, Chairman of State Chapter of the APC, Ben Nwoye yesterday at Abakpa Nike, Enugu condemned what it called the “desperate move to impeach the state deputy governor, Sunday Onyebuchi.”
Nwoye said that if considerable amount of the effort and resources being invested in the “dictatorial” gamble were invested in the provision of amenities, the people would have been better for it, urging residents of the state to resist any attack on democracy, even as he pledged that APC will take over the state in 2015.
Still on control of soldiers at polls, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has thrown its weight behind the proposal to empower INEC to control security personnel at the poll.
TMG’s Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who spoke while declaring open the biennial general meeting also deplored what it termed the militarization of the country’s electoral process.
The group maintained that the current trend of allowing an obviously partisan President to order deployment of soldiers could compromise the credibility of the electoral process.
Likening INEC to the proverbial man wearing the shoes who knows where it pinches, it stressed that as an electoral umpire, it is within the purview of INEC to give a sense of direction on how many security agents should be deployed at what place and time.
TMG noted: “It is for this reason, we call on all institutions of state concerned, especially the National Assembly to speedily expedite action on the proposals that have been put forward by INEC for the smooth and successful conduct of the 2015 elections. INEC’s proposed amendments to the Electoral Act 2000 should be swiftly addressed because the clock towards 2015 is currently ticking away.”
Commending INEC for the logistic improvements recorded during the just-conducted Ekiti and Osun governorship poll, the group enjoined the electoral umpire not to rest on its oars in ensuring the smooth conduct of the 2015 poll.
Blaming those it termed desperate politicians for the militarization of the electoral process, the group stated that it was at a loss as to why there were heavy deployment of soldiers and other security agents to police recent elections in Osun and Ekiti states that were not in a state of war.
Continuing, TMG asserted: “Our take on the debate on militarization is that while we insist the electoral environment must be secure for voters to exercise their franchise, it is our considered view that the vigilance of citizens is ultimately the best antidote to electoral malfeasance.”
Zikirullahi, previewing the activities of the group in the past two years, affirmed that it has been able to live up to expectations by drawing up a strategic plan of action covering 2013 and 2018 as foremost election and civic education coalition in Nigeria.
It cited its partnership with the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to use the quick count methodology which provides a much more scientific picture of whatever transpires on election day to observe the 2015 general elections.
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