RESIST ELECTION RIGGERS, MASARI TELLS NIGERIANS

Former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, has called on Nigerians to be ready to resist rigging, if they want free, fair and credible election in 2011.

The former Speaker, who is now a member of the Congress for Progressive Congress, (CPC) gave the admonition at the inauguration of his party's Contact and Mobilization Committee in Abuja.

Masari noted that the indicators for free and fair elections were not there, in spite of assurances from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega. 'The institution that will support a credible election is not there. We, therefore, have a very important role to play as regards the forthcoming 2011general elections both in content and context.

'We must ensure that people are mobilized from the wards, upwards. Nobody should expect that it is going to be easy. We should be willing to fight and ensure that the elections are gotten right. The masses are carrying loads of the elite. Except the masses say no, the elite will not stop perpetuating electoral fraud in Nigeria.'

The former secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reform Forum also revealed that the PDP was still bent on rigging the 2011 general elections and asked Nigerians to be prepared to resist election riggers.

'The PDP has all it takes to rig the election. The local government and legislative arms of government are totally not there. The composition of the National Assembly has made it so weak not to bite when it barks. The reality on the ground is that we must be ready to give opposition now.

'We must be ready to take actions to reclaim our lost rights as a people, to remove leaders who have failed us. It is going to be a hard fight to remove these criminals currently in offices. We, therefore, need to make the necessary sacrifices now. We need men on the ground, we need a party that will win elections,' he said.

Speaking on the occasion, National Chairman of CPC, Senator Rufai Hanga, who presided over the inauguration of the Contact and Mobilization Committee of the party, expressed delight over the influx of members into the new party.

'It is a known fact that membership cultivation and development are some of the major aspects of any political movement, hence the need to inaugurate the National Contact and Mobilization Committee of this great party today.'