Twenty-hours after the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation accused the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, of partisanship, the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Adamu Mu’azu, has passed a vote of confidence on the him.
Muazu, who acknowledged that shifting the date for the general election affected the programme of the PDP, sees no reason not to retain the confidence he has on Jega, especially as President Goodluck Jonathan, who appointed him, has said he does not intend to remove him and members of his team in INEC.
This position contradicts sharply that of the PDPPCO, which called for the ouster of Jega from INEC.
The Director of Media and Publicity of the PDPPCO, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, stated the position of the campaign on Wednesday.
Speaking further on Thursday, Mua’zu dismissed statements credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo lending support to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, for the presidential election.
He argued that it was part of the opposition’s handiwork.
According to him: “I am sure the President thought very well before he appointed him (Jega).
“Even the President, the candidate of my party, expressed confidence on him.
“As a party, we have the confidence that he will conduct a free, fair and credible election.
“Though we are not unmindful of the fact that the commission on its own part was not fully prepared for the February 14 election date.
“Though, we know that INEC could not sincerely claim to have been fully prepared for a desirable, credible, free and fair election at the time when more than 23 million registered voters were going to be disenfranchised.
“We therefore want to use this forum to urge INEC to use the period of the shift to ensure that it put its house in order and bequeath to Nigerians the desired free, fair and credible elections.”
Commenting on Obasanjo’s adoption of Buhari, Mu’azu stated: “I consider this as a rumour. I know Obasanjo is more sagastic and experienced.
“He is still not just our party member, but one of the leaders of this party. I recall in one of his letters to Mr. President, he is against anti-party activity. From my record, he is still a member of our party.”
On the allegations that northern governors of the PDP extraction were supporting Buhari behind the scene, Mu’azu said he was not aware of that.
Mu’azu, speaking on perceived lopsidedness in the distribution of the Permanent Voter Cards in favour of the APC, stated that with the extension of time, INEC should ensure that everybody collects his or her card.
“I have no doubt about that and I am sure INEC and government are making efforts to get people to collect their cards,” he stressed.
Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, who also spoke on the issue, described it as part of the propaganda of the opposition, advising them to campaign based on issues.
Akpabio stated: “Because the PDP governors believe in Jonathan, that was why they were the first to endorse him for a second term and no other president before him did as much as he did in all sectors of the economy in spite of the challenges.
“That was why no PDP governor applied to be president.
“Not that we are not capable.
“I want to repeat, no PDP governor is working for the opposition.
“The PDP is the party that others have found difficult to beat and I want to state that we are going to return Jonathan to Aso Rock.”
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