The APC wants interim Government because it will lose on Feb 14

Source: pointblanknews.com

The Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday, described allegations by the opposition that the PDP is behind push by individuals for postponement of the elections, and set up of an Interim Government,  as disingenuous, tenuous and shameful.

There have been calls for the postponement of the elections by some political parties, and minor presidential candidates. Also APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed, had alleged that the PDP has set in motion a plot to use the courts to stop General Muhammadu  Buhari, cause constitutional crisis, and install an interim government.

One of the first prominent Nigerians who made this call was former running mate to General Buhari, Pastor Tunde Bakare.

At a news conference in Abuja, spokesman for the Presidential campaign organization, Femi Fani-Kayode, who described the APC as agents of destabilization said 'The truth is that they cannot win the forthcoming elections and they know it.  That is why they have come up with the allegation of Interim National Government”

Full Text
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its Presidential Campaign Organisation have inundated the Nigerian people with allegations that the Peoples Democratic Party-controlled Federal Government is not ready for the scheduled February 14 and 28 general elections and that it is plotting to scuttle the process with a view to emplacing an Interim National Government.

These allegations are disingenuous, tenuous and shameful.  Rather than elevate the APC, this resort to mendacity and scaremongering further reduces them to a gang of desperadoes seeking power by all means and simply for the sake of it. This is because it is common knowledge that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not provide for the Interim Nation Government contraption that the APC talks about.

APC's National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has taken it upon himself to play the devil's advocate by building up seemingly scary scenarios to create tension, cause panic in the polity and incite supporters of his party and well-meaning Nigerians against the Federal Government, President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP.

The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation calls on the Nigerian people to discountenance APC and Lai Mohammed's petty lies and they can be rest assured that all arms of government are patriotically committed to discharging their constitutionally-prescribed responsibilities and duties.

We believe that the APC's unconscionable alarm is part of its characteristic and habitual propaganda through which it has over and over again imposed its skewed agenda on many undiscerning Nigerians.  We are constrained to take this opportunity to paint an accurate portrait of the APC and its leaders.  It is time for us to expose them for what they really are. The truth is that they are agents of destabilisation.  They comprise of retrogressive elements that are desperate to take power just for the sake of it.  If they ever succeed in taking power in this country, God forbid, they will take the country back into darkness because they represent darkness and everything that is reprehensible.

We, as a party, will not allow them to damage the good work that the PDP, most especially the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, has done to transform our nation.  The APC can go on its illusive flight of self-importance, but it is now increasingly clear to every Nigerian at home and in the Diaspora as well as members of the International Community that the opposition party is excessively desperate for presidential power and has imported unrestrained violence into our body-politic.

The truth is that they cannot win the forthcoming elections and they know it.  That is why they have come up with the allegation of Interim National Government.  We repeat: those who want Interim National Government are the APC and some elements that are secretly behind their party.  Their plan is to prepare a fertile ground upon which to discredit our anticipated victory at the polls, unleash anarchy and violence on the country after they lose so that we would not be able to enjoy our victory.  By the grace of God and the support of a vast majority of Nigerians, their plan will fail.

The nation is already subjected to a dress rehearsal of the monumental violence that the APC is planning. You can see how the party has attacked virtually everyone except itself.  It is time that all Nigerians of goodwill told the APC that enough is enough.  They must stop intimidating people and they must know their place.  Indeed, the APC should stop alleging that everybody has a hidden agenda except for its own leaders and members.

We wish to state that our party, the PDP and our government under President Jonathan, do not superintend over electoral processes and elections in this country.  There is an independent election body in place-the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the chair of Professor Attahiru Jega.  It is within the purview of INEC to make decisions about the holding and/or postponement of elections.  It is not within the functions of the PDP or the Federal Government.  We take exception to the fact that they keep on making this allegation deliberately to provoke us.  When they say that the PDP is controlling INEC they have become nothing but victims of their own delusions and they are obviously suffering from terrible hallucination.

INEC is completely independent.  We have called on INEC to ensure that everybody has the Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).  We have done that public service; but as to whether election is to be postponed or not is INEC's sole decision.  Whichever way, we are very well prepared for election. Let it be clear that the APC leaders and members are the ones who are afraid of elections.  We are traversing the length and breadth of the country campaigning to win votes.  Our candidate, President Jonathan has given a good account of himself, using the campaign platform to brilliantly articulate and showcase his sterling achievements and to place on the table those projects and programmes he intends to execute and/or implement once his mandate is renewed.

But their candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari has not been able to seize the moment to do the same.  General Buhari has attended 35 or thereabouts state rallies and in all the rallies put together, he has spoken for only 57 minutes.  The longest time he spoke in any single rally was for 2 minutes and 13 seconds.  The shortest is one minute. He has used his so-called speeches for nothing but political demagoguery, charging his supporters with a clenched fist and spreading hate speech (with his supporters chanting 'sai Buhari') which is symptomatic of a violent character. It drives home the point that General Buhari has nothing to say and if he has anything to say, he simply does not know how to say it. That explains why he keeps running from debates even when choice platforms are offered.

The APC has also set out to intimidate the Judiciary.  When has it become an offence for aggrieved parties to seek reliefs in the courts of law?  To suggest that cases instituted in courts are preparatory to scuttling the participation of General Buhari in the presidential election amounts to intimidation of the Judiciary and it is simply unacceptable.  We in the PDP have never interfered in court processes.  We have absolute confidence in the Judiciary, but the APC must not be allowed to intimidate all democracy-supporting institutions from performing their functions within the ambits of the relevant laws of the land.

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