ABOUT TURN! PDP Expresses Confidence in INEC, Jega.

Nothing more aptly epitomises the unpredictability of Nigeria’s politics than the recent utterances of the PDP. The ruling party has spent the last week attacking the electoral umpire, INEC, from all directions. Every official statement from the chairman, the deputy chairman, the chairman of the presidential campaign and ordinary party members have been full of criticisms against INEC, and its chairman, Attahiru Jega, in particular.

In fact, on Wednesday, Femi Fani-Kayode, the spokesman of the PDP presidential campaign addressed the press and alleged that Jega held a meeting in Dubai with some APC leaders where they planned to rig the general elections. Fani-Kayode refused to provide any evidence to back up his anti-Jega claims at that press conference.

The PDP was roundly criticised for the allegations against Jega at a time when the polity was already over-heated.

In a remarkable about-turn, the PDP called another press conference yesterday where it suddenly expressed confidence in Jega and his ability to conduct a free and fair polls. No mention was made of the alleged meeting Jega had with APC leaders.

Addressing a press conference in company of all members of the PDP National Working Committee, PDP Governors led by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio, the governors of Benue, Kogi, Cross River and Bayelsa state, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, among others, the PDP national chairman, Adamu Muazu, said that the party has confidence in the ability of the chairman of INEC to conduct the general elections.

The PDP however still expressed concern over the high number of voters’ cards which have not been picked up still with just 6 weeks to the poll.

“President Jonathan appointed Prof. Attahiru Jega and therefore knows him very well before the appointment. The President has restated his confidence in the INEC Chairman and therefore we have confidence in him to conduct a free and fair general election. We have confidence in him and I don’t act on rumours and therefore we will work with him as the chairman of INEC.

“Although we tend to agree with INEC on the security reasons given for the postponement of the elections, we are nevertheless not unmindful of the fact that the commission on its own part was not fully prepared for the February 14 election date.

“Taking the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on his own words, for the 68.8 million registered voters, the commission had only printed and delivered 66.3 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) with 1.3 million yet to be delivered and 1.1 million stolen cards yet to be replaced.

“Also, according to Jega, 45.09 million voters cards were collected by prospective voters representing 65.8 percent of the registered voters and 23.71 million PVCs, representing 34.2 percent were yet to be collected as at February 7th, which is exactly one week to the February 14th earlier scheduled date. Compare this anomaly with the 2011 elections where not a single eligible voter was disenfranchised.

“By this account, INEC could not sincerely claim to have been fully prepared for a desirable credible, free and fair election at the time when more than 23 million registered voters were going to be disenfranchised.”