Opposition Coalition: PDP Has Predicted Loss of 32 States in 2015
17 Apr 2013
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Chief Tony  Anenih

* CPC adopts report on APC, constitution, manifesto

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Toba Suleiman




Opposition political parties, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) have said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should rather accept its imminent defeat in the 2015 elections rather than boasting to the contrary.

This came as the CPC Tuesday said it had accepted the report of the resolutions passed at the merger negotiations for the formation of a new opposition coalition platform, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

While reacting separately to the statement by the PDP's Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Chief Tony  Anenih, that his party will win in 32 states,  the three  opposition parties which  are currently involved in plans for a new platform, the APC, described the assertion as mere wishful thinking.

ACN's National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who spoke to THISDAY on telephone Tuesday, said  PDP could only be joking with such a claim unless it wanted to tell the world that it had perfected a strategy to rig the 2015 general elections.

"The party is just laying foundation for rigging .  All its fence-mending efforts have been failing.  Today the Chairman of the party has been relegated to the background while Anenih has gone  on to do what  ordinarily should be the role of the chairman. From all assessment, the party has performed far below expectations.  They are just day-dreaming and Nigerians are already tired of them.

"They are jokers, they are just telling the whole world that they are going to rig.  They cannot even retain the seats they have presently," he said.

For the ANPP, Anenih's outburst is not supported by any visible performance on ground and as such should be dismissed by Nigerians.

Speaking to THISDAY on the matter, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Emma Eneukwu, said contrary to Anenih's boasting,  Nigerians were going to assess PDP's 12 years of non performance.

"He is only consoling by talking big. The elections would be done by Nigerians who will rate them according to their performance for the past 12 years. Nigerians are not fools who can be deceived by mere boast by a party that had plunged the country into terrible darkness.  The day of reckoning is approaching," he said.

CPC which held its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday also said PDP had no basis to hope on any victory at the polls in 2015.

Addressing members of the party's NEC at the CPC headquarters, the National Chairman, Prince Tony  Momoh, said PDP might have been frightened by the looming defeat staring it in the face.

He said PDP BoT chairman must have been misquoted because what he would have meant was that PDP will lose  in 32 states.

"I think he was misquoted,  I think what he must have had in mind was that PDP will lose in 32 states. We will work hard, make the sacrifice and ensure that we move into the merger and grow a new party so that Nigeria will have a change we need.

"Let me use this opportunity to make it clear that the merger is intended to take over power from PDP and do what PDP was doing, the merger is being promoted to set an agenda, look at the constitution and ensure that Nigerians have their sovereignty  returned to them.

Sovereignty will be returned to Nigerians and those elected  will be those who merit being elected, " he said.

Momoh said henceforth, every vote must be made to count, adding that not any more would we have any result not reflecting the wishes of the people.

According to him, that is part of the agenda of the merger, that freedom is protected in the constitution.

"We will ensure that welfare and security are achieved unlike the present situation where there are no welfare nor safety of lives  and property anywhere in the country.  If we can offer all these things who will have any reason to support or vote for the PDP?

While appraising the progress made by the merger talks so far, Momoh said the members of the party should appreciate the need for sacrifice as they march forward with the merger.

Meanwhile, the CPC National Executive Committee (NEC), which met Tuesday also approved May 11 as the date for its national convention that will be used to ratify CPC's merger with other parties.

In a communique signed by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, the party said it had informed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the decision on the convention.

“At an expanded National  Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on April 16, an approval was given to the proposal to have the mid-term convention of the party on May 11, 2013.

"Already, the Independent National Electoral Commission had been informed about this date and an acknowledgement received.

"The meeting further approved the presentations of the constitution of the new party, APC and the manifesto. All these shall form part of the resolution to the Board of Trustees (BoT) and subsequently, the national convention on May 11," he said.

Both the national leader of the party, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and the governor of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura were not at the NEC meeting Tuesday.

In another development, the Ekiti State chapter of the ACN Tuesday alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan was planning to invite a military to take over the legitimate government of the country by giving matching orders to the PDP to capture 32 states during 2015 general election.

Reacting to the statement credited to the national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, that the president had instructed the party to ensure that PDP captures 32 states in 2015 general election, Awe described the statement as an indirect invitation to a military take-over.


Besides, Awe also reacted to Chief Tony Anenih’s statement that during the conduct of the election, PDP would do what it knows best to do to ensure its success.
Awe, who spoke at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, said apart from a military take-over, the statement was equally an invitation to anarchy in the country.

According to him, the word capture is a loaded and pregnant word and a language peculiar to the military alone.

While further expressing disgust over Tukur's approach to political issues, Awe recollected that Tukur had once said elections in 2015 would be war.

He said he was not surprised with the statements, since the two personalities were acting the script of their leader, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who he said was the architect of do-or-die politics.

The ACN chieftain maintained that it was a signal to the effect that 2014 election, especially in Ekiti State may not be as expected in terms of free and fair poll.

“The ACN is demanding an explanation from the president what exactly he means by the word capture, which he described as alien to democracy.

“We hope Jonathan is not indirectly inviting military to truncate the nation’s nascent democracy which the entire people of the country suffered to attain.

“What we know is that you don’t capture with votes, but you capture with guns, which is purely military weapons.

“We don’t want Ekiti as a battle ground. We don’t want that statement to embolden the PDP in the state, as we approach 2014 governorship election,” Awe said.

He pointed out that the party was reacting to the president’s statement to let him know that every step he takes, the nation is watching him carefully.

While also commenting on Anenih’s statement that during the 2015 general election, the party would do what it knows how to do best, Awe urged Nigerians to discountenance Anenih, since he was not known to do anything better.

“If that statement is coming from Anenih, it is pardonable. We know his antecedent, as a former police officer.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/opposition-coalition-pdp-has-predicted-loss-of-32-states-in-2015/145133/

Let the game start.