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Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Hon. Yakubu Dogara has accused the
Presidency and the All Progressives
Congress, APC, of plotting to embarrass
the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, in a bid to remove its
chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu
from Office.
He also described comments credited to
President Muhammadu Buhari at the
national caucus meeting of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, on Monday
warning that intending ballot boxes
snatchers would be risking their lives, as a
call to jungle justice, saying the nation’s
extant laws are enough to deal with
electoral offenders.
Addressing a press conference at the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential
Campaign Office, Maitama, Abuja
yesterday, Hon. Dogara condemned
President Buhari and APC national
chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole’s
allegations accusing the PDP of having
prior information of plans to shift the
polls last week.
“We know they are doing everything
humanly possible to discredit INEC,
remove the chairman and stall the process
conscious of the fact that they cannot win
this election.
“From our position, we strongly believe
that the deliberate delivery of election
materials to the wrong electoral centers,
cancellation of flights, and other actions
that undermined the logistics
arrangement of INEC were deliberately
done to sabotage and manipulate the
process.
“We are also very familiar with the
pressure brought on INEC by top
government officials and APC leaders to
go ahead with the elections despite not
being adequately prepared for the
election.
We are also aware the APC wanted the
INEC chairman to conduct elections in
some states and postpone in other states
so as to have staggered elections. It
should also be noted that the areas that
would have been affected by inadequate
delivery of materials were PDP
strongholds,” he said.
Quoting President Buhari as saying that
“Anybody who decides to snatch boxes or
lead thugs to disturb the election, may be
that would be the last unlawful action you
would take.
I have given the military and police the
order to be ruthless. I am going to warn
anybody who thinks he would lead a
body of thugs in his locality to snatch
boxes or to disturb the voting system; he
would do it at the expense of his/her own
life,” Dogara urged Nigerians not to be
deterred in their quest to elect a new
government next week.
He said, “we categorically deny these false
claims and unnecessary blackmail and
regard the President’s statement as a call
for extra-judicial killings considering the
fact that there are adequate provisions in
our laws to address electoral offenses.
“These statements clearly indicate that
our democracy has become the victim of a
full blown dictatorship, when one
considers that a democratically elected
President would give a directive that is in
clear violation of the laws of the land
which by his oath of office he is to defend
and protect.
“In view of this statement by the
President, it is obvious that the military
has been given a central role and co-
opted into the conduct of the election
despite the fact that they have no
constitutional role in our electoral
process.”
He called on Nigerians not to forget that
“our party chairman, Prince Uche
Secondus, was the first to call for an
inquiry into why the elections were
postponed last Saturday.
In reality, we support a genuine and
transparent probe into why the
Presidential and National Assembly
elections could not hold. We also hope
that the President’s inflammatory
statement is not a threat aimed at
intimidating the electoral commission.
Dogara also had some words for the APC
chairman, whom he tasked to reflect on
his allegation against the PDP.
“We also strongly condemn Mr.
Oshiomole’s false, mischievous and
inflammatory claims against our party,
when he said INEC colluded with PDP to
abort last week’s elections.
This is a very surprising statement
considering the fact that the federal
government controls every institution and
agency involved in the electoral process,
including the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN,
Nigerian Airforce, Aviation authorities
amongst others.
“It is important to note that the APC in its
usual manipulative style is now shifting
the blame on INEC leadership while
absolving itself and the other institutions
of government under its control of any
blame.
That is the common strategy that super
villains always employ. Dogara who is a
technical adviser to the PDP Presidential
candidate, Atiku Abubakar expressed
worry that a sitting government is playing
the victim card; a development he
described as a novelty in the nation’s
political history.
“This is the first time that we have
witnessed a ruling party play victim,” he
continued, stressing that it is “a clear
indication that they h