PDP’s opposition to use of Card Reader: We have been vindicated – APC
PDP’s opposition to use of Card Reader:
We have been vindicated – APC
The All Progressives Congress has
said the Peoples Democratic Party’s
public declaration in opposing the use of
Card Readers in the
rescheduled elections holding this march has shown the
accuracy of the APC’s accusations
that the ruling party is doing all in its
powers to either prevent the election
from holding or to rig it.
In a statement issued in Lagos on
Thursday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party
described as curious the fact that the
PDP that rushed to the press to deny
the APC’s claims quickly turned
around to confirm them.
”At the press conference we
addressed on Wednesday, which
rattled the PDP and the Jonathan
Administration so much, we listed the
conditionalities of the PDP/Jonathan
Administration for holding the
election: No PVCs, No Card Readers,
No Jega and the fact that they want
the military deployed to harass and
intimidate voters.
”We mentioned ‘Card Readers’ at
least three times during the press
conference, and said they (PDP/
Jonathan Administration are doing
everything possible to sabotage the
machine and prevent its use.
”Both the spokesmen for the PDP and
the Jonathan Campaign Organization
rushed to the press to deny any such
‘reprehensible’ plan. But a few hours
later, the spokesman for the campaign
organization told an incredulous
country that they would oppose the
use of Card Reader, apparently after
the spokesmen were overruled by
their party. Obviously, these men are
outsiders in their own party and it is
now obvious that the opposition
knows more about the inner workings
of their party than they do,” it said.
The APC said in an apparently-
choreographed show, some 15
portfolio political parties called a
press conference to also announce
that they will oppose the use of the
Card Reader, vowing to boycott the
elections and use a legal process to
prevent the use of the machine.
The party said these syndicated
threats are the latest indications of the mortal fear
in the corridors of power about the machine that
has now become the nemesis of election riggers
and manipulators worldwide.
It said contrary to the claim by the PDP, Nigerians
are ready for a free, fair and credible elections to
be made possible by the use of the Card Reader,
and will massively resist any move to dump the
machine.
”Nigerians have sacrificed all they can to obtain
their PVCs, which is now their most-prized
possession. They have also hailed the plan by
INEC to use the Card Reader to give Nigeria
credible polls. Only
dishonest politicians, those who plan to rig, those
who have engaged in a massive purchase of PVCs
and those who have something to hide are opposed
to the use of the machine.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, our party is ready for
any tool, including the Card Reader, that will
ensure that the votes of Nigerians will count in the
forthcoming election. In this regard, we sincerely
hope
that the nationwide tests of the Card Reader to be
carried out this week by INEC will not be
sabotaged by those opposed to the machine.
The Card Reader has been demonstrated to work,
including at the Senate, and no one must come out
to tell Nigerians anything to the contrary.
”The huge investments in providing PVCs for
Nigerians will not be worthwhile if the cards
would not be authenticated by Card Readers
which, by the way, have been used in many other
countries, all of them
less endowed than Nigeria, in Africa,” APC said.
The party said it is taking the forthcoming
elections very seriously and closely monitoring
every move of those who do not want the elections
to hold, or if they must hold at all, only on their
own terms.
It said, for example, that the party (APC) is aware
of an all-night meeting (Wednesday/Thursday)
between a South-west Governor and security
chiefs on how to rig the forthcoming polls in the
geo-political zone, but it remains convinced that
no one is powerful enough to stop an idea whose
time has come.
The APC thanked Nigerians, both within and
outside the government, for their efforts in keeping
a close eye on those planning to sabotage the
forthcoming polls, imploring them not to relent
since eternal vigilance is the price of freedom.
