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| Chief Bisi Akande,ACN Chairman answering questions from journalist.To his immediate right is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,the ACN Leader |
-Urges Nigerians,
International Observers
to be vigilant
International Observers
to be vigilant
By Lateef Lawal
The National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria,(ACN),Chief Bisi Akande has accused the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) of illegally spending huge sums of money to manipulate the results of the last National Assembly elections.
He leveled the accusation yesterday while fielding questions from journalists at the Presidential Lounge of Lagos airport on whether the performance of the Independent National Election Commission(INEC) was transparent and credible going by the last Saturday’s exercise.
Chief Akande said: ‘ The answer is yes and no. INEC want to be very transparent and credible but the elections so far has not been free and fair. The intension is quite different from the action. The intension of INEC was to have it right’.
He went on:’ But what we see is total manipulations, particularly by the security agencies and the lower level of INEC Staff. The PDP spent plenty of money in the election. They managed to dole out money to manipulate the INEC officials at the lower level of the Commission and they did a lot to manipulate the totality of the Security Agencies to intimidate the electorates and create room for manipulation.’
When asked to comment on the confusion in one of the Senatorial election results in Anambra State, Chief Akande said there was no confusion except that the INEC was trying to confuse itself.
He explained that the Electoral Act was very clear on who should announce the election results, adding,’The law and regulations for the exercise says the Returning Officer has the final say on the announcement of results and that is the law. The only power that can reverse the result already announced is the law court. No other person. The Returning Officer has declared Ngige the winner. The Resident Electoral Officer(REC) in Anambra has no business in the matter. It is only in Nigeria that a commission like INEC, due to corruption will be pushing people to the right and to the left. The Returning Officer has made a pronouncement and that is what the law says’.
On the way forward, Chief Akande urged Nigerians and the international observers to be vigilant,’ otherwise the PDP will destroy this country. If the minority is allowed to rule this country again, we will remain where we were before 1999 and in the next four years. If we suffer irreparably in this way, it will be difficult for the future of our children’.
When further asked the step to be taken by ACN if there happens to be no clear winner in tomorrow’s presidential election, he said the party would consider going into alliance.
He said,:’ We will sit down immediately after the election and as a political party, take a decision on our next line of action’.
