Rescheduled Polls: 23 Political Parties Want Further Shift In Borno

…As APC, PDP, 3 Others Kick
A group of 23 political parties under the aegis of Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Borno State chapter, have called for a further shift of the rescheduled general elections in the state.

Making the case for a further shift of the polls till September, Thursday, at a media briefing in Maiduguri, the state capital, chairman of the group, Comrade Babagana Musa, maintained that the decision was reached following a careful study of the situation in the state, which, according to him, was not yet conducive for the conduct of any election.

He however said the decision was taken by all other political parties with the exception of All Progressives Congress (APC), Kowa Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Africa Alliance (AA).

The group therefore called for the constitution of an interim government to run the affairs of the state on expiration of the tenure of the present administration on May 29.

It also listed the alleged non- distribution of permanent voters cards in 175 polling units in the state which represents approximately 500,000 eligible voters as well as the alleged personal insecurity of opposition parties officials in the state, vandalisation of opposition parties facilities and the indecent activities of the youth vigilante group, a.k.a Civilian JTF, as some of the reasons for their call.

According to Musa, the thugs allegedly sponsored by the state government have been on the trail of opposition politicians thus necessitating the need to relocate internally displaced persons back to their homes.

He stated further: “Because of the foregoing reasons and others not mentioned here, we are calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) being the electoral umpire, to extend the conduct of the 2015 general elections for six months, from 28th March to 26th September, 2015.

“We also call on the National Assembly as a matter of national importance to pass a resolution for INEC to effect the extension.

“We call on the National Assembly to set in motion a resolution to constitute a government of state unity on 29th May, 2015 at the expiration of the incumbent administration so that all good people of Borno State will have a sense of belonging.

” We call on all the chiefs of the security agencies to ensure, within the extended six months period, safe and conducive environment for all political parties in the state to thrive.”

However, the ruling APC in the state has called for the arrest of the chairmen of the 23 political parties who are signatories to the statement , saying they should be tried for treason.

A statement by the state chapter of APC, Ali Bukar Dalori, said since President Goodluck Jonathan had declared that calls for Interim Government is treasonable felony, the chairmen should be arrested immediately.

“I hereby call on security agencies in Borno to arrest and prosecute some 23 political parties calling for Interim Government in Borno State despite recent clarification by President Goodluck Jonathan declaring any call for Interim Government as treasonable offence that is punishable under Nigerian laws,” he said, alleging that the group was “acting the script of a former Governor of the State who is desperate to take over power at all costs even if it means sending the State into extinction.”

The APC statement said further: “We strongly believe that the call by the 23 parties for elections in Borno to be shifted till September, 2015 and for Interim Government to be put in place by May 29, 2015, is in furtherance of a blind desire to implement an agenda of a PDP that is aligned to an ex-Governor of Borno who is hell bent on ensuring elections do not hold in Borno State by hook or crook due to his fear of massive defeat for his anointed candidates given the evident popularity of the APC in the State.

“The 23 political parties, which only exist on papers, are mere tools in the hands of the former Governor. However, we are also excited by their calls for postponement because in politics, calls for postponement of election is conceding defeat because only those who see defeat coming their way, try to avoid elections.

“For the purpose of educating these 23, they need know that there is no portion of the Nigerian Constitution that gives room for a democratically elected government whether at the State or Federal Level to be toppled through a civilian coup they are advocating for.

“Some of the reasons enumerated by the 23 parties as being basis for their unlawful calls are not for the APC or its Government to respond though since those to respond are capable of doing that.

“But the fact of the matter is that, all the reasons are cooked up for one reason, which is to stop elections from taking place in Borno State in order to avoid being defeated.

“The plan is to have a puppet to head a dubious interim Government that is alien to the constitution, in order to have access to the resources of Borno people to loot freely and perpetuate themselves in power with a view to putting an end to the ongoing efforts to reclaim lost territories, reconstruct destroyed communities, rehabilitate and reintegrate victims, re-model Borno State, develop the capacity of its citizens, provide them jobs and fight poverty. The 23 parties, like their sponsor, do not want Borno to get out of its tribulations. They won't succeed.”