Fourteen political parties under the aegis of Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA), have alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has joined forces with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate other political parties, ahead of the 2015 general elections.
Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State and a co-chairman of CAA Alhaji Balarabe Musa, who said this at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, decried the alleged stance of INEC on the merger of the political parties.
Musa said: “INEC is deliberately creating difficulties for the emergence of parties under CAA. By doing so, the commission is conspiring with the PDP to make sure that they did not contest the 2015 general election and also not to vote.
“What I mean is that those political parties, including the deregistered political parties, which are coming together to merge under CAA, are now faced with problems created by INEC to help the PDP. These political parties are not connected with the PDP and the APC. They have decided to form a democratic and credible alliance under the leadership of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN).
“But, INEC, which is serving the interest of the PDP, do not want to allow this to happen. Therefore, they are creating and supporting fictionalisation in the ACPN, so that there will not be a chance for these political parties to perfect their planned alliance.
“INEC is illegally recognising a rebellious faction of the ACPN, so that ACPN will not give platform for these political parties to pursue their constitutional right of contesting election”.
Musa vowed that the affected parties would not allow INEC get away with its plans.
He further noted that those behind the new political coalition were surprised to read in the newspapers that ACPN submitted the name of “Gani Galadima” along with other political parties that have submitted the names of their presidential candidates.
But the former Kaduna governor said he never heard of “Gani Galadima” since his connection with ACPN, accusing the commission of smuggling him through the backdoor to frustrate the alliance.
Musa, who doubles as the chairman of Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), also faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s comment few days ago that no place was safe in Nigeria.
He, therefore, urged Mr. Jonathan to resign and forget seeking re-election in 2015, adding that the president was “incompetent” to rule the country.
His words: “Few days ago, President Jonathan said that there is no security anywhere in the country. The incompetence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is quite clear. We must correct the negative state of the nation.
“Jonathan has proven what I have always said that he is incompetent; because he is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the chief security officer of the country. If he knows that no part of Nigeria is safe, he should be able to do something about it, because that is what is expected of him.
“If he cannot for whatever reason; then, he should resign. The implication of what Jonathan has said is that Nigerians should not rely on government.
“With this statement, Jonathan has ruled himself out of contesting the presidential election”.
