Advocates of postponement of the February elections have found a solid obstacle in the All Progressives Congress (APC), which yesterday alleged that “anti-democratic forces are set to use the courts to scuttle the elections”.
The APC urged the judiciary to protect democracy by not allowing the institution to be used to compromise the electoral process.
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmed, yesterday said the comment by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, that a shift was not out of place is part of plans to truncate the electoral process.
The ADC flag bearer said that such a comment was not in the best interest of the country and should be resisted by serious- minded Nigerians.
Dr. Mani maintained that the recent spate of attacks by the Boko Haram was part of plans to justify the calls for the shifting of the elections, adding that other sinister activities that may come up between now and election time are also aimed at shifting the polls.
He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had repeatedly given assurances that the polls would hold as it was working rounding the clock to ensure that every registered voter got the PVC.
“I want to state in clear terms that I’m not in support of any attempt to shift the February elections. Nigerians cannot be taken for a ride. Enough is enough. One can rightly predict that there will be a sharp increase in the activities of the insurgency and other sinister activities within the next couple of days – all in order to justify the move to truncate this electoral process.
“We must not allow them to succeed. The elections must go ahead as planned. ADC represents that radical departure towards change.”
But Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa and Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Isa Aremu disagreed on the need or otherwise for the shift of the elections.
They both spoke at the presentation of four books written by Aremu in Kaduna.
Musa said since INEC may not be able to distribute the permanent voter cards to eligible voters before the elections, it would just be natural for the commission to postpone the polls by more than 60 days to enable it address the issue.
He said if INEC would conduct free, fair and credible elections, it must not ignore the need for young people who are just clocking 18 years to be captured in the process so that the outcome could be generally acceptable.
But Aremu said in as much as the commission said it had no challenge bigger than what it could bear, elections should still hold as scheduled.
“INEC is doing very well. We should not because of insignificant challenges derail the entire timetable which has proven to be largely successful. We cannot be holier than the Pope.
“I think we should stick to deadline given by the INEC. We should encourage them to have printed and distribute the PVCs to over 70% voters. We should encourage them to arrive at their destination,” Aremu said.
The four books are: “Reflections on Labour” and “Trade Union, Reflections on Industry and Economy”, “Reflections on Africa and Global Affairs” and “Reflections on Friends, Comrades, Heroes”.
In a statement in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the APC said after all the efforts to stop the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, failed, “the anarchists have moved on to the next chapter, which is to use the courts to stop the elections at all cost.”
It said the case instituted at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, seeking a declaration that Gen. Buhari lacks the requisite qualification to contest the Feb. 14 presidential election, is the first in a series of court cases to be instituted just so that the elections will not hold.
‘’We are not surprised at this, because these desperadoes are so predictable. They are following the footsteps of the infamous Association for Better Nigeria (ABN), which helped to annul the 1993 elections and which threw Nigeria into a crisis from which it has yet to fully recover, over 20 years later.
‘’We can only appeal to the judiciary not to become a willing tool in the hands of those who will stop at nothing to scuttle the elections, just to perpetuate their firm grip on power,’’ APC said.
The party said the truth is that President Goodluck Jonathan is very much aware that if the elections go ahead as scheduled, he will lose to Gen. Buhari by a landslide, adding that the President and his allies are terrified of meeting the APC at the polls.
‘’An ally of presidential aide Doyin Okupe has revealed that President Jonathan will rather have the military take over than hand over to the APC candidate. Though Okupe has made a tepid denial, the revelation has exposed the thinking and the desperation within the Presidency, ahead of the elections.
‘’We are also aware that up till this moment, the President has yet to repudiate the ex-militants in the Niger Delta who have threatened the country’s very existence if he is not re-elected, as if elections are won by fiat. When this is added to ongoing moves to depopulate the Northeast, which is an opposition stronghold, using scare tactics, one can see that this Presidency and the PDP are as terrified and desperate as they can be,’’ it said.
APC also warned those who are manipulating some elements among judiciary workers, either to proceed on strike just so that the courts will not be able to sit on cases that can affect their candidates or to end the strike so they can seek to use the courts to achieve their objectives of truncating the elections, to desist from such acts.
‘’In particular, we will like to remind the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, to advise his principal and his aides not to abuse the courts or use them as a tool to truncate democracy. They must be careful not to throw the country into chaos for selfish reasons,’’ the party said.
It reiterated its earlier stand that the general elections must hold as scheduled on Feb. 14th and 28th, and that under no circumstance will Nigerians accept the postponement of the polls or the establishment of an Interim Government, which is the next option being secretly canvassed by the Presidency if its plan to scuttle the elections fails.
‘’Next month’s general elections must hold and winners must be declared. Nothing short of this will be acceptable to us as a party,’’ the APC said.
