The All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the statement by the Presidency/Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that they are not behind the ongoing campaign for next month’s general elections to be shifted, saying both must now back up their words with action by cutting off the funding for the surreptitious campaign immediately.
In a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said having seen that the election-shift campaign has been rejected by Nigerians, the Presidency and the PDP have wisely backed away from it, that is if they can be trusted to mean what they say.
However, it called on all Nigerians, as well as local and international observers who have started arriving for the elections, to closely monitor developments as the elections approach, because the Presidency and the PDP have proven time and again that their words are not their bond.
“Election is a process, not a one-day affair. That is why we are delighted that some foreign observers have already arrived for the Feb. 14th and 28th polls. Now they must pay a very close attention to the preparations for the elections, the relentless campaign to shift the polls, including through the use of pseudo analysts and the sponsorship of a rash of court cases seeking to stop the presidential candidate of the APC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at all cost.
“We know their last joker is the court, amid the unpleasant rumours that a pliable Judge has been procured with millions of dollars to disqualify our candidate. But we strongly believe that the judiciary will do all that is possible to keep its integrity intact and not be a party to desperate efforts to scuttle the elections and trigger a constitutional crisis,” APC said.
The party also called on local and international observers to take note of the threats of violence emanating from a section of the country ahead of the elections.
“The ex-militants from the Niger Delta have openly threatened the very existence of the country if President Goodluck Jonathan fails to win the forthcoming presidential election. The implication is that, as far as they are concerned, the votes of the people do not count and elections are won by fiat. This is a recipe for violence and disaster,” it said.
The APC said even though the Presidency and the PDP have belatedly distanced themselves from the threats, their disclaimer is as tepid as it is unreliable, since they are the unseen hands behind the threats anyway.
“This is why we are calling for vigilance from all stakeholders in the next few days before the Feb. 14th and 28th elections. We must not allow desperate politicians to plunge our nation into chaos. Elections are not war, but a celebration of democracy. There will always be winners and losers, hence no one should threaten others if he or she loses,” the party said.
