ADP rejects INEC timetable, says APC poised to rig 2019 elections

Action Democratic Party (ADP), on Thursday, rejected the elections schedule recently released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had orchestrated rigging plans ahead of the 2019 general elections.

The opposition party specifically wanted INEC to reverse the timetable; starting the conduct of the election from the State Houses of Assembly instead of Presidential election.

Addressing newsmen at the party’s national secretariat, in Abuja, National Chairman of the ADP, Engr. Yabaji Sani, alleged that the ruling party must have perfected rigging plans for INEC to schedule the presidential election first.

Yabaji said: “The order of the elections is something that we are not comfortable with because it will mean that APC must have perfected some arrangements to rig the elections, that is why we are having presidential election before any other election, so that they will have all the powers to now interfere with the normal free and fair election that we are demanding.

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“So the order of the elections as released by INEC is one thing we are not comfortable with because once you have a president sitting there then he calls the shots, he can have his ways against the wishes of the people of the country. So, this is one area we are not comfortable with and I think if that area must be looked into.

Asked what ADP would have proposed, if given the opportunity, the national chairman said: “What we would have proposed is to have these mass-based elections to take place first, beginning with the State Houses of Assembly and so on, then going forward we can have the Presidential election later.

“So, we are saying that we want the arrangement to be the other way round instead of the way we have it today because the way we have it today it is against what the democracy is all about. Democracy does not accommodate might because that is what they are trying to do. They want to say might is right. So, once that is rearranged, I am sure the others will take care of themselves”.

While emphatically calling on Nigerians to reject APC and President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, the ADP chief bemoaned the frightening security situation in the country.

He said: “As I speak to you today, the APC-led government, in the last three years has demonstrated their unwillingness to unite the Nigerian people.

“The nauseating protocols of this Government show that, it does appear that Mr. President understands that we are one nation of different tendencies, different ethnicities and different religions. It does appear to APC that they must re-worked every structure in this country to suit parochial ethnic tendencies and religious tendencies.

“ADP is poised to reverse these dangerous tendencies and promote the innate desire of every Nigerian for a united Nigeria and provide a credible and vibrant political platform to accommodate the youths of this country who are organizing and determined to salvage their country for a better future.”

According to Yabaji, ADP has put in place an effective machinery to produce credible and focused State Assembly, Governorship and Presidential Candidates for the 2019 general elections.

“The need for total socio-economic and political reforms has become stronger now than ever. The APC-led Federal Government has failed to meet the aspirations of Nigerians in all sectors. There is a serious decline in education, Health care, Security and infrastructural development. Regrettably, the economy has also collapsed”, he stated.

By Ajansii Mgbom …

 

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