FOLLOWING a threat by the All Progressives Congress to boycott the forthcoming Niger-East senatorial by-election due to a sudden change in the date of the election, the Niger State Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed the threat.
The APC had questioned the rationale behind change of date from August 16 to August 30, 2014, saying that the Independent National Electoral Commission was not prepared to conduct the election.
The opposition party through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, had alleged that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo, is a “card-carrying member of the PDP,” insisting that he should be transferred to pave way for “free and fair” election.
Vatsa described the PDP as a confused party that would plunder the resources of the state.
He said, “The PDP is very confused in this state. With the emergence of the APC in Niger state, the big masquerade will be unmasked.”
But the Niger state deputy chairman of the PDP, Mr. Tanko Beji, in a statement issued in Minna, on Sunday, debunked the claims by the APC. [eap_ad_2] He said, “The allegation against the REC has no substance, it is, therefore, clear that the opposition presently without structure or supporters in the state are already heading towards defeat and they are looking for who to blame for their own political problems. They should leave the REC alone and brace up to looming defeat which is quite inevitable for them.”
“The state government has made its position clear on the matter of release of funds to the REC and for emphasis sake, the money is meant for the Niger State committee on voter education and sensitisation – to use in educating the people of the state through the media and production of educational leaflets, banners, flyers.
“The said amount of money is for sensitisation of voters in Niger ahead of the general election. It has nothing to do with Dr. Onucheyo or INEC. It is the Niger State government’s personal effort aimed at educating the people on how to obtain and use their permanent voter cards; understanding their rights and express their free will at the polls”.
Beji added that as a responsible government, the administration of Governor Babangida Aliyu had deemed it fit to educate voters on the processes of election and how to vote, adding that the planned sensitisation process would commence across all the 25 local government councils of the state.
(Punch)[eap_ad_3]
