By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The All Progressive Congress (APC) and former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, have differed over who Nigerians should entrust their mandate with in the forthcoming presidential and general election in 2023.
While Prof Jega, who spoke to BBC Hausa services, said Nigerians should vote out APC from power over corruption allegations against the party, the ruling APC rejected the position by the former Chairman of INEC, in which he accused the ruling party of having failed Nigerians.
Jega had said, “the two major political parties were like siamese twins of corruption and have woefully failed the nation, stressing that it is high time Nigerians looked for a credible alternative”.
However, in its reaction, APC said while the PDP failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians as a government and opposition party, the APC is thriving, healthy and assiduously cleaning the massive mess left behind by the PDP which failed to deliver democratic dividends to the people of Nigeria after being in charge of the country for 16 years.
A statement issued by the National Secretary of the party, James Akpanudoedehe, said “Our attention has been drawn to an uncontrolled, wrong and untenable political outburst by a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega in which he lumped the All Progressives Congress (APC), together with the failed People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“While the PDP failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians as a government and opposition party, the APC is thriving, healthy and assiduously cleaning the massive mess left behind by the PDP which failed to deliver democratic dividends to the people of Nigeria after being in charge of the country for 16 years.
“While Professor Jega is right about the PDP, a party under which he served as the Chairman of the nation’s election management body, we reject his comparison of the APC with the PDP.
“Professor Jega got his facts wrong and mixed up in his baseless comparison of the PDP with the APC.
“While we do not intend to join issues with Professor Jega, we encourage him to engage in genuine scholarly research and come up with evidence-based conclusions on the progessive orientation of the APC.”
APC said it is instructive to note that having recently abandoned his academic pursuit and blindly plunged into the arena of PDP’s brand of politics, the erstwhile electoral umpire as a politician can make such political statements occasionally while trying to launch his political career in a mushroom political party.
“The APC is a strong, united, popular and focused political unit. Hence, the Professor should note the political lesson that maligning the APC would not provide him a springboard to achieve his desires. Nigerians are wiser and remain the ultimate judges”, the party said.
