APC Accuses PDP, Military of Plotting to Rig Elections

Strategic Insights -

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the country's military hierarchy of engaging in a secret plot to subvert the will of the people. The party claims it has obtained a memo from the presidency to military commanders instructing them on how to use the military to intimidate voters in APC states and rig the elections in favor of President Jonathan.

The APC national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, addressed a news conference at the party's national secretariat in Abuja, accusing the military high command of engaging in an unholy alliance with the PDP to undermine the will of the Nigerian people. He alleged that the ruling party had compromised the leadership of the Nigerian military to serve the personal agenda of President Jonathan.

The APC also accused the PDP of playing into the hands of the military to rig the elections. The party's Presidential Campaign Organisation released a statement saying that President Jonathan was consumed with fear over the outcome of the elections, leading to their postponement. They claimed that opinion polls showed that President Jonathan was headed for a loss at the polls.

Key Takeaways:

  • The APC has accused the PDP and the military of secretly plotting to rig the elections.
  • The party claims it has obtained a memo from the presidency to military commanders instructing them on how to use the military to intimidate voters in APC states.
  • Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC national chairman, accused the military high command of engaging in an unholy alliance with the PDP.
  • The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation claimed that President Jonathan was consumed with fear over the outcome of the elections, leading to their postponement.
  • Opinion polls showed that President Jonathan was headed for a loss at the polls.
  • The PDP was accused of playing into the hands of the military to rig the elections, and manipulating the distribution of permanent voters' cards in favor of northern states.
  • The INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was accused of bias and complicity in the plot to rig the elections.
  • The opposition parties under the auspices of the Coalition of Progressives Political Parties (COP3) vowed to resist any attempt to remove Jega from office.

Statistics:

  • The APC claimed that 12 days before the elections, the military high command had assured the nation of their readiness to provide security for the elections.
  • 3 days later, the military service chiefs wrote a letter to INEC saying they could no longer provide security for the elections.
  • The presidency has allegedly forwarded a secret memo to military commanders instructing them on how to use the military to intimidate voters in APC states.
  • Opinion polls showed that President Jonathan was headed for a loss at the polls.
  • The PDP was accused of playing into the hands of the military to rig the elections, and manipulating the distribution of permanent voters' cards in favor of northern states.

Sources:

  • This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX
  • The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation
  • The Coalition of Progressives Political Parties (COP3)
  • The Southern Nigeria Peoples Assembly (SNPA)
  • This Day News publication
  • AllAfrica Global Media