•Says fear of security threats real
No matter the circumstances, there must be a new government in 2023. So, therefore, both INEC and the leadership of political parties must work towards that.”
National Chairman of the New Nigerian People’s Party, ( NNPP), Ahmed Rufai Alkali, has said his party was convinced that the Independent National Electoral Commission was fully prepared for the general elections scheduled to hold next month and in March.
Alkali offered his appraisal of the Commission preparation on Wednesday while speaking with journalists at his party national secretariat in Abuja.
Speaking on the alarm raised by a National Commissioner of INEC, Professor Abdullahi Zuru, on rising security challenges which could frustrate the conduct of the elections, the NNPP Chairman admitted that such threats were real but submitted that the elections must hold as scheduled.
Professor Alkali cited the new Central Bank of Nigeria’s change of currency, and the agitation for the removal of the INEC Chairman in certain quarters as perceived threats that should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand.
He said: “No matter the circumstances, there must be a new government in 2023. So, therefore, both INEC and the leadership of political parties must work towards that.
“We know INEC doesn’t talk anyhow to have said this at this critical time, there must be a reason.
“We are also aware that some foreign nations raised security alarms, we don’t know what they know but they didn’t share with the Federal Government. That of course was enough to raise tension “But they should also have announced their return the way they announced their exit.
“We also know that the CBN Governor also changed the currency of Nigeria. “Maybe the intention was right, but the timing is wrong! We don’t know what they want to achieve but that is a sufficient reason to undermine the election.
“Again, political parties signed an agreement under the National Peace Committee and we all agreed to conduct our campaigns, peacefully. But you are aware of development since INEC announced that parties can kick start their campaigns. Governors aren’t allowing the opposition to campaign in some states. In Borno, they removed the billboards of our Governorship candidate.
“When our presidential candidate was to go to Maiduguri, the APC Government in the state shut down our office.
“You have seen a serving Minister saying they have money to win elections. That’s intimidation.
“You can also hear people asking for the removal of the INEC Chairman. Once you do that, the whole process is disrupted.
“I haven’t even mentioned security threats to INEC offices and even their personnel.
“But we are sure the security forces have the capacity to stop all these threats to conduct of the election.”
Speaking on cases against NNPP candidates, the party appealed to the judiciary to attend to the cases speedily while it urged its candidates to continue with their campaigns.
“For all those names whose names have been approved by the Courts, we urge INEC to take appropriate action.
Our party, the NNPP wishes to use this medium to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Nigerian judiciary for being the last bastion of hope for the people and a pillar of democracy and democratic processes, particularly leading to the general elections.
” Our party had benefitted immensely from the sound judgements of the Federal High Courts and the Appellate Court which were delivered with dispatch in spite of the court’s crowded dockets.”
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