‘We Are Vindicated On Accusation Against The PDP Over The Use Of Card Reader’ – APC

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Thursday, March 5th, 2015

The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has affirmed that the ruling PDP’s public avowal to oppose the use of Card Readers in the rescheduled elections has shown the accuracy of its accusations that the PDP is frustrating the use of the device.

The party in a statement issued Thursday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary; Alhaji Lai Mohammed described as very curious why the PDP rushed to the press to deny its claims quickly, yet, turned around to confirm them.

The party explained: ”At the press conference we addressed on Wednesday, which rattled the PDP and the Jonathan Administration so much, we listed the conditionalities of the PDP/Jonathan Administration for holding the election: No PVCs, No Card Readers, No Jega and the fact that they want the military deployed to harass and intimidate voters.

”We mentioned ‘Card Readers’ at least three times during the press conference, and said they (PDP/Jonathan Administration are doing everything possible to sabotage the machine and prevent its use.

”Both the spokesmen for the PDP and the Jonathan Campaign Organization rushed to the press to deny any such ‘reprehensible’ plan. But a few hours later, the spokesman for the campaign organization told an incredulous country that they would oppose the

use of Card Reader, apparently after the Spokesmen were overruled by their party. Obviously, these men are outsiders in their own party and it is now obvious that the opposition knows more about the inner workings of their party than they do.”

The opposition held that in an apparently-choreographed show, some 15 portfolio political parties called a press conference to also announce that they would oppose the use of the Card Reader, vowing to boycott the elections and use a legal process to prevent the use of the machine.

The party said these syndicated threats were the latest indications of the mortal fear in the corridors of power about the machine that has now become the nemesis of election riggers and manipulators worldwide.

It established contrary to the claim by the PDP, Nigerians were ready for a free, fair and credible elections to be made possible, by the use of the Card Reader, and would massively resist any move to dump the machine.

”Nigerians have sacrificed all they can to obtain their PVCs, which is now their most-prized possession. They have also hailed the plan by INEC to use the Card Reader to give Nigeria credible polls. Only dishonest politicians, those who plan to rig, those who have engaged in a massive purchase of PVCs and those who have something to hide are opposed to the use of the machine.”

The party also confirmed that for the avoidance of doubt, was ready for any tool, including the Card Reader that would ensure that the votes of Nigerians would count in the forthcoming elections, adding that it hoped the nationwide tests of the Card Reader to be carried out this week by INEC would not be sabotaged by those opposed to the machine.

APC stated the Card Reader has been demonstrated to work, including at the Senate, contending that no one must come out to tell Nigerians anything to the contrary.

”The huge investments in providing PVCs for Nigerians will not be worthwhile if the cards would not be authenticated by Card Readers which, by the way, have been used in many other countries, all of them less endowed than Nigeria, in Africa,” APC said.

The party said it was taking the forthcoming elections very seriously and closely monitoring every move of those who did not want the elections to hold, or if they must hold at all, only on their own terms.

APC stated that it was aware of all-night meeting (Wednesday/Thursday) between a South-west Governor and security chiefs on how to rig the forthcoming polls in the geo-political zone, but it remained convinced that no one was powerful enough to stop an idea whose time has come.

Meanwhile, the opposition thanked Nigerians, both within and outside the government, for their efforts in keeping a close eye on those planning to sabotage the forthcoming polls, imploring them not to relent since eternal vigilance was the price of freedom.