APC leaders meet in Abuja

LEADERS of the All progressives congress (APC) Tuesday met for several hours in Abuja to fine-tune strategies aimed at putting an end to electoral malpractices that pervades the polity since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

At the parley held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre, leaders and elders of the party from across the country watched with dismay an audio and video clip purportedly recorded by one Captain Sagir Koli depicting how prominent Nigerians in the corridor of power in cahoot with security personnel connived to rig the recent Ekiti governorship election.

Before the party leaders met behind closed doors, they took turns to reiterate their commitment towards ensuring that the APC records a landslide victory in the poll.

The presidential candidate of the party, Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari described the revelations as worrisome adding it is incumbent on heads of security outfits in the country to stay away from taking sides with politicians.

Lamenting such glaring case of the abuse of the military institutions, Buhari said it was unfortunate that: “Up till now, there has been no official denial of this most unfortunate event. It makes me wonder, in the circumstances that led to shifting of the date of the Federal Elections, whether the security services are even now being prepared to play similar roles in the March 28th and April 11th elections. Let me reiterate once more that our security services have serious constitutional responsibilities to the people of the nation and so their importance to the health of the country cannot be under estimated. It is therefore imperative that their leaders must not drag these invaluable institutions into the realm of partisan politics.”

At the end of its  Joint Leadership Meeting held today, the 17th of February 2015 at the Shehu Musa Yar’dua Centre, the All Progressives Congress resolved as follows:

1. Immediate and necessary disciplinary action for all individuals that were involved  in the subversion of democracy in the 21st June Ekiti Governorship Election as revealed by the videos released by Sahara Reporters. They include

(a)Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh who should be immediately investigated by the Military authorities.

(b) The Hon Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan who should immediately be relieved of his ministerial appointment.

(c) The former minister of state for Defence Affairs Senator Musliu Obanikoro whose name has just been sent to the Senate for confirmation again as a minister of the Federal Republic must not be confirmed by the Senate and must be barred henceforth from holding any public office.

2. That line with the  Court of Appeal decision  of yesterday that upheld an earlier judgement of the Sokoto Federal High Court Judgement that ruled as illegal the participation of the military in the electoral process, the military should be kept away from election duties henceforth.

3.That the reschedule election  dates of the 28th of March and 11th of April remain sancrosact as the party will not tolerate any further shift 

4. That the use of the card reader for the 28th of March and 11th of April is non-negotiable, as contrary to the misinformation being disseminated the use of card reader is not synonymous with electronic voting.