The presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) disagreed sharply, on Friday, over allegations of a plot to force the postponement of next month’s elections.

While the presidency described the allegation as unfounded, the APC, which described the plot as real, added that the sponsors had advanced in their machinations.

The presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) disagreed sharply, on Friday, over allegations of a plot to force the postponement of next month’s elections.

While the presidency described the allegation as unfounded, the APC, which described the plot as real, added that the sponsors had advanced in their machinations.

Targetting the PDP and the presidency, APC alleged that the advocates of the postponement of next month’s general elections planned to sponsor protests across the country as a way of forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to shift the elections, scheduled for Feb. 14 and 28.

In a statement issued in Lagos, on Friday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said those allegedly pushing for the elections to be shifted were also seeking to instigate the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who would serve as part of the ad-hoc staff for INEC to say they didn’t feel safe to be part of the elections in certain parts of the country.

It said even if the NYSC members refused to participate in the elections in certain parts of the country, there would be no shortage of those willing to serve as ad-hoc staff.

“It has also come to our notice that these election-shift proponents are holding clandestine meetings with various groups, including a section of the media, to recruit them for their dubious campaigns to force a postponement of the election,” APC said, adding, however, that all the shenanigans of the election-shift advocates would fail, as Nigerians have seen through them and have stepped up their collection of PVCs in readiness for the elections.

”The assurances by INEC that 65 million PVCs are now ready and that the remaining 3.8 million will be ready in due course have heightened the belief among Nigerians that the electoral umpire is indeed ready, willing and able to conduct the elections as scheduled.

”That is why we are surprised that instead of encouraging Nigerians who have not done so to go and collect their PVCs, instead of heeding the advice for the declaration of a three-day public holidays to enable working class people to collect their PVCs, all they are interested in is how to sponsor various dubious individuals and groups to stagee protests against INEC.

”The PDP has variously said it is ready for the elections as scheduled, but not once has it urged Nigerians to go and collect their PVCs, knowing full well that the problem now is more of collection than anything else. The presidency has also not made any effort to encourage Nigerians to collect their PVCs. Instead, it has been openly pushing for the elections to be shifted on the basis of inadequate PVC distribution, as shown by the call in London recently by the National Security Adviser.

”Undoubtedly, public funds have been deployed to sponsor ‘talking heads’ to make the TV rounds to parrot the lies that over 30 million voters have yet to collect their PVCs, when INEC has said 42.7 million out of 68.8 million PVCs have been collected, and that it will distribute PVCs until the eve of the polls These anti-election antics are too glaring for Nigerians not to notice. The dirty tricks point to one and one thing only: The PDP and the presidency are mortally terrified of the elections being held as scheduled, because they know they will surely lose,” APC said.

The party called on INEC to urgently decentralise the distribution of the PVCs to the polling units to enhance collection efforts, while appealing to Nigerians to make extra efforts to collect their PVCs.

“On our part, we will continue with our campaign for Nigerians to collect their PVCs, and we hereby restate our stand that under no circumstances shall we accept the postponement of the elections. We are ready for the Feb. 14 and 28 general elections,” it said.

Meanwhile, the presidency on Friday described as unfounded, the allegation by the APC that it was involved in surreptitious scheme along with the PDP to postpone the February 14 presidential election.

According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Professor Rufai Alkali, in Abuja, instead of the presidency and PDP, it was the APC and its supporters that have done everything possible to frustrate the conduct of a free and fair electoral process.

According to him, the APC had, at different times, breached with impunity, the Abuja Peace Accord signed by all the presidential candidates.

He emphasised that President Goodluck Jonathan has received unprecedented support since he embarked on the nationwide campaign and was fully prepared for the election with the PDP.

The statement read: “The attempt to denigrate the presidency and drag it down the cesspit of vile propaganda and rumour mongering is unfortunate and signpost’s the APC’s disregard for our revered institutions.

“Nigerians have seen President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan criss-cross the length and breadth of the country in the last one month to rousing receptions everywhere. This certainly is not the sign of someone who is frightened about elections or unprepared for same.

“From our tours and the unprecedented outpour of goodwill, we are confident of a wider margin of victory than ever before. We are ready and fully prepared for this election.

“We wish to draw the attention of Nigerians to the fact that it is the APC and their unruly supporters that have been doing everything possible to frustrate the conduct of a free and fair electoral process. They have consistently violated the Abuja Peace Accord through violent conducts in Katsina, Bauchi, Taraba, Gombe and Plateau states. They have engaged in unprovoked attacks on our billboards in Lagos State. They have done all these to trigger a reaction from our supporters and create an enabling environment for the truncation of the elections.

“It is, therefore, a great irony that those who have consciously worked to frustrate the February 14 elections are the ones crying out the most and accusing others of the plans to shift the polls.

“Nigerians have been assured by the Independent National Electoral Commission that preparations for the elections are on course. We therefore have no doubt that the elections will be a huge success, much to the disappointment of the naysayers.

“We wish to assure Nigerians that the president is committed to a peaceful and successful conduct of the February 14 polls and will not be distracted by tissues of lies and cocktails of deceit from people who have run out of ideas on how to move our country forward.”

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Polls postponement: Presidency, APC trade accusations