Wednesday, March 25, 2015

APC, PDP Disagree Over Alleged Plot to Disqualify Buhari
By Elijah Bello on March 25, 2015
Nigerian Guardian

OPPOSITION All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party yesterday disagreed over an alleged plot to disqualify APC’s presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari to pave the way for an easy victory for President Goodluck Jonathan or even another postponement of the elections.

APC had earlier alleged in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed of a plot to procure a judgement to disqualify its presidential candidate today when the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to rule on the issue, warning that those thinking of such “satanic” move should perish the idea in the interest of the country.

Mohammed said those nursing the idea of using the back door to stop Buhari from contesting in the Saturday presidential poll simply do not want the sustenance of democratic governance in the country.

APC alleged, ‘’If it is true, as it is being widely speculated across the country, that the Jonathan administration has procured a judgement to disqualify the APC presidential candidate today, when the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to rule on the issue, then it portends a great danger for our country.

It said, “In addition to other reasons, the six-week postponement of the elections may have been used by those who never wanted the polls to hold in the first instance to shop for such a satanic judgement.

However, in a swift reply, Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode said APC spokesperson, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has told yet another lie about the speculated disqualification.

Fani-Kayode said, “What on earth is our business with Buhari’s court case? We know that he does not have a certificate and that he was not eligible to contest but we have moved on from there and we are ready to meet him in the field. The truth is that the APC are suffering from all manner of paranoia and they have lost touch with reality.

“Frankly they deserve to be pitied. They see government conspiracies everywhere and they have become prisoners of their own wild hallucinations. The truth is that we are not in the least bit interested in General Buhari’s travails at the court and we are not in a position to influence the decision of the judge or the outcome of the case one way or the other.

Meanwhile, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos yesterday granted a motion filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to be joined as a co-defendant to a suit filed by the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).

UPN had filed the suit to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to list candidates of the party for March 28 and April 11 general elections.

The trial judge also granted a similar application filed by the APC’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari seeking to be joined as a co-defendant to the suit.

While ruling on the motion for joinder, Justice Abang held that ‎assuming without deciding that the suit succeeds, the implication would be that all the electoral materials already printed and distributed by INEC in preparation for the elections would have to be destroyed and new ones printed.

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