• Says Feb poll dates sacrosanct
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Goodluck Jonathan administration to declare a three-day public holiday, to give working Nigerians the opportunity to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), if indeed the administration is genuinely concerned that many Nigerians have not received their PVCs.It also urged the Federal Government to work in tandem with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the PVCs are distributed at the polling units.
The APC reasoned that if these steps were followed, within five days, the distribution would have been completed.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told a senior journalists in Lagos yesterday that his party will not accept any shift in the February 14 and 28 dates of the election, accusing the Jonathan administration and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting a shift of the polls, first through a call by the National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki.
The argument for the postponement of the elections is hinged on the need to give INEC more time for distribution of the PVCs.
“In spite of this, we have noted with dismay that the Jonathan administration has continued to pursue the plot to shift the elections. That plot in itself is one of the two-pronged approach being pursued by the administration to either shift or scuttle the elections, which are scheduled for Feb. 14th and 28th.
“The other is the campaign for an Interim Government. It is important to state here that for the APC as a party, both options represent the Devil’s Alternative (apologies to British writer Frederick Forsyth, who has a book by the same title), and are totally, absolutely unacceptable to us under any circumstance.”
Alhaji Mohammed recalled that when President Jonathan met with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Lagos on Sunday, the President said he told the visiting US top diplomat that ‘the May 29th handover date is sacrosanct.’
“We say this is not reassuring enough, and that for us, the February 14th and 28th dates for the elections are as sacrosanct as the handover date of May 29th.
“Therefore, we are more assured by the call made by Mr. Kerry that the elections should be held on time as scheduled. Nothing short of that will be acceptable to our party.
“We are also satisfied with the assurance by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it is ready for the elections. The electoral body has also said it will continue with PVC distribution until the eve of the elections. Therefore, the orchestrated campaign about INEC not being ready for the elections is sheer baloney!
“Now, make no mistakes about it, we are aware of the limitless capacity of the PDP and the Jonathan administration for anti-democratic and desperate actions in pursuit of selfish motives that have nothing to do with the interest of the good people of Nigeria. We are aware of the clandestine moves, including reaching out to various interest groups and hiring talking heads to make the television rounds, being made by the administration to get the elections shifted.
“All in all, these arguments in support of election postponement are a smokescreen. The truth is that the forthcoming elections terrify the PDP and the Jonathan administration to such an extent that they are looking for ways to postpone or scuttle the polls.
The APC spokesman rounded off by stating that his party was ready for the elections, and under no circumstance would APC accept a postponement.
“The government has had four years to prepare, and the dates for the elections were announced over a year ago, therefore, there is no going back now.
“We note that the PDP has also said it is ready for the polls. That is good news. Let them now end their clandestine push for either postponement or the formation of an interim government, stop engaging in scare and scandal mongering and dwell on issues, ahead of the polls.” The party then called on the Federal Government to give the electoral body all the support and resources it requires to organise successful polls.
Source: Newswatch Times
