• Say commission must reinvent self ahead of 2019 polls
• Party’s committee to produce consensus presidential candidate
• Buhari, El-Rufai, Ambode, others get nomination forms
Few months to the 2019 general elections, Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday passed a vote of no confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies for allegedly conducting themselves as tools of the All Progressives Congress and the APC-led Federal Government, describing the trend as a great threat to democracy in the country.
PDP Governors Forum, in a communique made available to newsmen in Abuja and signed by its Chairman, Dr Ayodele Fayose, who is also the Ekiti State Governor, lashed out the Federal Government over alleged surreptitious, selective and suspicious payment of N16 billion purportedly from the Paris Club Refund, to the APC-controlled Osun State Government.
It aleged that the money was “to fund corrupt inducement of voters in the forthcoming Governorship election in Osun State on September 22.”
The Forum also resolved to have an all-inclusive meeting with all the Presidential aspirants on the party’s platform, with the national chairman, two national officers of the party, and the leaders of the party in both chambers of the National Assembly in attendance ahead of its primaries.
While condemning alleged politicisation of security agencies in the country by the Federal Government, it observed that “Security agencies have become organs and tools of the APC-led Federal Government to harass and intimidate the opposition and dissenting voices.”
The Forum decried the use of security agencies to perpetrate electoral fraud “as it happened in Ekiti, Osun and Rivers State and urged them to be non-partisan in the performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.”
It condemned what it described as the flagrant violation of democratic ethos by operatives of this government as shown recently in the infamous act by the Police at the residence of Elder Statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, and the harassment on innocent Nigerians across the country on frivolous claims.
“The Forum noted the INEC needs to reinvent itself as a truly independent umpire of the electoral process in the country. For now, we have no confidence in INEC. The commission has conducted itself as a tool of the APC-led Federal Government, especially with the roles of the Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu, and a National Commissioner, Mrs. Amina Zakari.”
It condemned the “surreptitious, selective and suspicious payment of N16 billion purportedly from the Paris Club Refund. We are of the view that the money is to fund corrupt inducement of voters in the forthcoming Governorship election in Osun State on September 22, 2018.”
“The meeting condemned unequivocally, the refusal or failure of the President to sign into law the amended electoral act thereby indicating that the President and his party are afraid of electronic voting or the introduction of technology into the electoral system,” the communique added.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. receive the expression of interest and nomination forms purchased for him by a group, the Nigerian Consolidation Ambassadors Network (NCAN).
The presentation of the N45 million documents will be made at the New Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja. The presidency has kept silent on allegations that Buhari would be violating provisions of the Electoral Act by accepting the forms, with the opposition PDP urging him to reject the “indecent” offer.
Edward Gyang Pwajok, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and House of Representatives member from Plateau State, however, said the group’s gesture violated no law; saying: “Buying the expression and nomination form for Buhari to contest the 2019 presidential election by a youth group is legal. There is nothing in our Electoral Act that makes donations of money beyond any limits illegal to an aspirant,” he explained.
While Buhari awaits his forms, Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday was “surprised” when members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and four other groups presented him with the costly papers.
“I don’t have N20 million to buy my form. I have only one account in GTB. Except I sell my house, (I will not) be able to raise that amount,” he told the delegation, declaring he had accepted the form in good faith and would re-double his efforts at improving the lives of the citizens.
This was as Mohammed Sani Sidi, a PDP governorship aspirant in the state, vowed that he would scuttle El-Rufai’s chances of re-election. The former director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) made the assertion as he submitted his form, flanked by cheering supporters.
At a carnival-like ceremony, Lagos State governor, Akinwumi Ambode, also picked the document on Monday, saying: “By this humble process in which I have collected my nomination form, I ask you to give me your support as I seek to continue with your mandate to steer the affairs of our state. I ask you to believe again and together, let’s achieve more.”
With the elections closer, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) disclosed plans to raise a legal team that would partner INEC to curb vote buying.
IPAC chairman, Chief Peter Ameh, who dropped the hint during the inauguration of the organisation’s new executives in Abuja, promised: “We are going to have a legal team that would interact with INEC on how best to solve the menace.”
His pledge came as another organisation, Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement [YIAGA] AFRICA, urged the executive and legislative arms of government to ensure the Electoral Amendment Bill is signed before the end of September.
PDP bans buying of votes during primaries in Anambra
Meanwhile, a PDP governorship aspirant, Dr. Alex Ohiogbolu who was the third runner-up during her primaries in the last Governorship election in Anambra State has joined the Anambra North senatorial election on the platform of the same political party.
Dr Obiogbolu, while submitting his nomination form, said he is in the race to defend the party he has been in the political contest for 12 years and as a stake holder, he is bound to ensure that the party is fully retuned to power in Anambra state.
On issue of anointed candidate, Dr Obiogbolu dismissed the claim with a wave of hand describing such as as unfounded rumor.
In a related development, Dr Obinna Uzor has said that the ongoing rescue mission in Nigeria was a divine mandate to return the party to power and save the country from the impending doom.
Uzor stated this at the PDP Secretariat in Awka, Anambra State capital while submitting his nomination form to the state PDP caretaker adhoc committee.
Uzor who has contested Governorship and sentorial elections under the platform of PDP severally said he joined the race to represent Anambra South Senatorial Zone to give his people quality representation.
He therefore called on the caretaker committee to ensure a level playing ground for all the candidates during the primaries. He assured them of his continue support.
Responding the State’s PDP caretaker chairman, chief Ndubisi Nwobu, promised them that the committee would do everything within their reach to ensure a level playing ground for all the aspirants, and added that there will be no buying of votes during the party primaries in Anambra state.
Nigerian Tribune/The Guardian
