… warns APC leaders against intimidating opposition with death threats
The National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress held an emergency meeting, on Monday night, following the postponed February 16, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The leaders of the party rose from the meeting, giving a stern warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress not to intimidate the opposition and Nigerians, at large, with death threats, saying they must protect lives during the polls, “not take lives.”
The meeting, held at the Divine Grace Cottage, Awka, was to review the events leading to the postponement of the election, less than six hours to its commencement, the reasons given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and complicit actions of the Presidency.
According to a statement released on Tuesday by the National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Yemi Kolapo, “the meeting started, with full attendance, at 10pm, and closed at 2.00am, on Tuesday, 19th February, 2019.”
The communique, signed by the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, Chief Ralphs Nwosu and Alhaji Said Abdullahi, respectively, read in part, “The meeting reviewed the earlier positions taken in our press release, which demanded that President Muhammadu Buhari and the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should resign. After reviewing the explanations given by INEC for the postponement, and in view of results of independent investigations on what went on behind the scenes, ADC has come to the conclusion that agents of the government or fifth columnists within the APC administration were responsible for the logistics failure.
“As a result, we have shifted our initial stand on the INEC chairman and have resolved that he should be allowed to conclude his tenure. We, therefore, call on President
Buhari to call relevant officials in his administration to order and allow INEC carry out its job without further interference.”
The party also wants the fate of President Buhari to be determined by the people through the ballot box, saying this leverages Nigeria’s
democracy.
The leaders of the party said they resolved to shift their insistence on INEC holding the Governorship and State Assembly polls on 2nd of March, as in the originally timetable, and to align with the position of international observer teams that the elections should hold on 23rd February, and 9th March, 2019.
The ADC NWC said, “We note the shenanigans, undemocratic, deliberate threats and death scare by APC leaders, particularly, President Buhari, reference to Nigerians ‘paying with their lives’ in matters, which have clear penalties, according to the country’s electoral laws.
We also note El-Rufai’s instigation of ethnic bloodshed, callous “returning home in body bags” warning to international observers, as well as the party Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole’s melancholy and clear stance against free and fair elections. These must not be taken for granted as we prepare for the rescheduled
polls.
