‘Walk To Talk’ On Credible Elections in the Country; APC Tells Jonathan

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, Politics Monday, July 28th, 2014

Again, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged President Goodluck Jonathan to make good his promises on resolve to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

The task was given in a press statement issued in Lagos on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed. The party which blamed the President of repeated empty promises regarding free election, urged him to go beyond mere rhetoric and take concrete actions to ensure the coming elections in the country were not marred by the intimidation and harassment of opposition, which it alleged “hallmarked the Anambra and Ekiti gubernatorial elections” and others.

APC indicted Mr. President that on the same day he renewed assurance on credible elections in 2015 was also the day, agents of the Federal government ransacked the offices of a company hired to carry out an opinion poll for the coming Osun State governorship poll slated for August 9 this year.

The statement expressed worry: ”If the opposition can no longer freely carry out opinion polls, if the companies hired to carry out such polls are harassed and intimidated by SSS officials as they did to tnsrms, the offices of which were searched for six hours, after which top officials of the firm were dragged to the SSS offices in Shangisha (Lagos) and computers carted away, then how can any President convince anyone that free and fair elections can be held under his watch?

”If the Ngozi Okonjo Iweala-linked NOI polling firm has never been harassed for its choreographed opinion polls that favour the Jonathan Administration, why should other firms be subjected to the kind of Gestapo- tactics that tnsrms was exposed to? This is why we are asking President Jonathan to walk to talk”.

The opposition also observed that there was already build – up to rigging in the coming poll, alleging that among the ways this has manifested was refusal its members in Osun by INEC to obtain their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).

Alhaji Muhammed who stated that the party wondered whether INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega weighed its statement when attempted to justify deployment of troops to Ekiti for the state’s gubernatorial election to ensure a violence-free election, hence, should explain why the same military intimidated and harassed the oppositions, nothing that no one would have complained if the Military had only provided non-intrusive security for the election.

To begin with and in line with its clamor, APC urged Mr. President, to order an inquiry into why the offices of the firm carrying out an opinion poll for the coming poll were raided and explain to Nigerians whether the same travail would have befallen the it if were it to be engaged by the ruling party or its candidate for the election.

It also enjoined President Jonathan to read the riot act to his cabinet members, like Musiliu Obanikoro and Abduljelili Adesiyna as well as other PDP officials who were reputed for electoral controversy.