The All Progressives Congress has alleged that the desperation of the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party administration, to return to power in 2015, could be responsible for Nigeria’s loss of territory to Boko Haram.
National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun said this while addressing party faithful at a rally tagged salvation rally, in Abuja, on Wednesday.
He stressed that the APC organised the rally to demonstrate its lack of confidence in the ability or willingness of President Goodluck Jonathan, to organize a free and fair election come February 2015. CONTINUE READING...
Oyegun said, “President Goodluck Jonathan is so desperate to win re-election that, it will now appear that there is a secret understanding that our security forces should turn a blind eye to the Boko Haram Insurgency, so that, the insurgents can occupy as much territory as possible and make elections impossible in these areas, knowing full well these are APC strongholds.
“Otherwise, how does one explain that local hunters carrying Dane guns and amulets are capable of dislodging the dreaded Boko Haram while our once proud army, which has distinguished itself in and out of the country, has failed?”
He described as idle talk calls for the President to declare total war on Boko Haram. The party chairman asked what the administration has been doing since it first declared a state of emergency in the affected states.
“Or is the President saying that he declared and renewed the state of emergency several times only to cage the civil populace so that the insurgents can have a free rein?” He queried.
The APC also said it has become evident that the war against the insurgents has become a tool for self enrichment and a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians who are perceived not likely to vote for President Jonathan’s re-election.
It also said everything now points to the fact that President Jonathan’s handling of the Book Haram insurgency is aimed at the disenfranchisement of persons who are perceived not to be in support of his re-election, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.
The party stressed that it has it on good authority that, as soon as the president get’s the support of the National Assembly, there will be no elections in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Boron and Yoke.
If this succeeds, about five million Nigerians will be disenfranchised, which the party fears could make Jonathan’s re-election a foregone conclusion.
Oregon, equally warned the administration not to use the collection of Permanent Voters Cards and continuous registration in 12 states of the Federation as another tool against APC strong holds. It cautioned the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega against allowing himself or the commission to be used to shortchange Nigerians.
It also blasted the administration for declaring austerity measures after mismanaging the economy.
Earlier, the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi said the President owes Nigerians an explanation about happenings in the North East.
He said, “The President must tell us why our brothers and sisters are dying in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa and they are here enjoying in Abuja.
“The President must answer that why he is comfortable that Nigerians are dying and he is enjoying here. Today the insult us with what they call stomach infrastructure, this stomach infrastructure must stop.
“Three persons died in Bayelsa because they were sharing rice that insult must stop. Nigerians must stop them. Today, the police must tell us whether they are the police for Nigerians or the police for Goodluck Jonathan.”
In his remarks, former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari said, the PDP-led administration which has held sway since 1999 has shown itself to be inept, corrupt and undisciplined.
He said, since the PDP came on board in 1999, “Try and find out what was the state of infrastructure in 1999, what it is now and what we have earned between then and now it is then it will dawn on you how corrupt, inefficient and in disciplined the PDP is and its operators.”
He said the PDP cannot shy away from responsibility as it has consistently found itself at the centre and most of the states as such they cannot escape the blame of the position they have put the nation.
Buhari described Nigeria’s situation as precarious because the nation is insecure and is becoming bankrupt because of ineptitude and corruption.
He urged Nigerians to vote out the PDP next year because it was the only way out of the deteriorating socio-economic situation we have found ourselves.
Ex- Chairman, defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu in his remarks urged Nigerians to join the party as it moves to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible, free and fair.
Four other Presidential aspirants namely: Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha and the publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah, were conspicuously absent.
Attempts by our correspondent to get a reaction from the ruling PDP were fruitless.
Calls made to the mobile telephone of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh, were neither picked nor returned. A text message sent to him was yet to be responded to as at the time of filing this report.
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