Ahead of tomorrow’s polls, the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari and that of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, have expressed the need for the Independent National Electoral Commission to improve on its previous outing.
While expressing faith in the person of Professor Attahiru Jega, the trio unanimously tasked INEC to correct whatever irregularities that plagued the National Assembly polls.
Speaking exclusively to LEADERSHIP, spokesman to General Buhari, Yinka Odumakin, expressed discomfort on the alleged role of some PDP governors in influencing some electoral officers across the state, noting that INEC has to do more to erase the trend.
“With the assurance given by the INEC chairman, we want to believe that the INEC is ready for the elections but we are still not comfortable with the roles of many INEC officials at state level who may appear to be working in tandem with some PDP governors. We hope there will be changes and Professor Jega will work with us,” he said.
Odumakin expressed confidence that the CPC will carry the day since it is the change Nigerians need. “This is the keenest of all the elections and we believe that Nigeria will come out in their millions to vote for change. The desire of Nigerians to have change will be manifested this weekend. We are confident too because we are the change they need. We are quite optimistic, upbeat and confident of victory.
“We also know that the rigging machine of PDP will want to work this Saturday. What worked last Saturday will not work this weekend. Nigerians are ready for them this time, they are ready to vote PDP out.”
Also speaking with LEADERSHIP, presidential adviser Oronto Douglas said President Jonathan’s camp is set for victory as it has worked hard to reach the masses. His words: “We have worked very hard, travelled the length and breadth of Nigeria. The president has campaigned from zone to zone, state to state, city to city, town to town, community to community, neighbourhood to neighbourhood and door to door. His campaign has been a campaign of ideas and visions. He has preached unity, love and non-violence. He has met opinion leaders, traditional rulers, political leaders, market women, youths, students, the unemployed and the masses of our people. He has given hope to those who feel there is no hope. He has given a roadmap as to where Nigeria should be in the next four years. He has insisted that the right thing be done and, above all, when he made the promise, he has shown abiding commitment to keep to the promises.
“So, for such a man, Nigerians will undoubtedly, and by the special grace of God, reward his hard work with victory and that victory will not be a victory of Jonathan, it will not only be a victory of the PDP, it will be a victory of democracy, a victory for electoral reforms, the victory for free and fair elections and the victory for a united Nigeria.”
He expressed faith and optimism in the ability of the Jega-led INEC to conduct a free and fair election. “I want to believe that INEC that conducted one of the freest and fairest elections last Saturday will have learnt more lessons from the election so that whatever irregularities that may have been noticed in that election will be corrected and perfected. In any case, INEC is up to the task. It has the capacity and freedom of presidential non-interference to deal with situations that do not augur well for democracy.
“I’m absolutely confident that the outcome of Saturday’s election will be a salute to democracy and a reward for good governance as exemplified in the Goodluck Jonathan administration in the last 10 months. We are ready to receive the democratic verdict of the people as will be expressed through the ballot and not the bullet,” he added.
For his part, spokesman to the ACN candidate, Ibrahim Modibbo, said the ruling PDP has set up rigging machines in rural areas and called on the INEC and international observers to beam their searchlights on such areas. “We have discovered the hypocrisy of PDP in trying to redirect attention from the searchlight of international observers, the press and party agents. What they do is to leave the metropolitan areas for rural areas where there is no such searchlight and embark on dramatic struggle for mass looting of the people’s franchise.
“This comes by way of ballot box snatching, mass thumb-printing by individuals; they even use coconut shells to thumbprint and rig elections in many states of the country. INEC should be on the watch out for all these signs. We urge observers to leave the cities and go to the hinterlands, rural areas to monitor the elections keenly.”
Modibbo expressed optimism that Malam Ribadu will carry the day at the polls, maintaining that it was the end of the road for the PDP. “Our chances are very bright because we are ready to send Jonathan out of Aso Rock. We are ready and the PDP will witness monumental defeat.
“We are expecting a free and fair atmosphere devoid of manipulation by security agencies in close collaboration with INEC staff and the desperate PDP. So we are expecting INEC to stand by its words and deed and be fully independent by giving Nigeria credible elections, by allowing ‘one man, one vote’ to count.”