USA Africa Dialogue Series - PRESS RELEASE: CPN Asserts Massive Disenfranchisement of CPC Voters {Re: PRESS RELEASES: ACN rejects Monday as new date for National Assembly poll; Asks for Postponement

April 2, 2011

The National Chairman, 
Independent National Electoral Commission,
Headquarters Office,
Abuja

Dear Sir,

MASSIVE DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF CPC VOTERS

I want to draw to your attention the information we have received from all over the country that in many constituencies, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) logo is not on the Ballot paper. This information has come to us from places as far apart as Ogun, Jigawa, Gombe, Anambra, Imo and Rivers States where voting seemed to have started before the announcement putting off the election was made. 

2. We believe that free and fair elections include providing the opportunity for all those who have been registered to vote to do so. The absence of the CPC logo from the ballot papers means to us, a premeditated attempt to prevent our numerous supporters from voting for those they believe can bring the change they demand to their lives.

3. The embarrassing thing about this absence is that it is not national. It is selective. Why would there be the CPC logo on some ballot papers for, say, the House of Representatives election in some constituencies and it is absent in some other constituencies, even in the same state! The same story is being told of what is happening in some states with the election to the Senate. 

4. Mr. Chairman, we are grateful to God that for some other reasons, the National Assembly elections were put off today. I wonder what would have happened if the elections had taken place and our supporters had complained of the exclusion of the logo of their party from the ballot papers and the security agencies had pounced on them for disturbing the peace! In our view there cannot be greater provocation and proof of an open denial of a people's right than deliberately preventing them from exercising a right the Constitution and the laws of the land grant.

5. If this lapse is discovered now, we wonder what awaits us in other elections. As one of the fastest growing political parties in the country, obviously because of the image of its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, it is unthinkable that if a party is left out from the ballot papers you printed for the various elections, it would be that of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) whose logo is the PEN.

6. Our appeal is that you ensure that in the elections you conduct and which you have promised the whole world would be free, fair and transparent, the CPC is not denied full participation. We believe elections should be won through the ballot, not in courts which have proved to have problems of their own. 

7 We suggest that you conduct the presidential and national assembly elections on April 9. After all, the gubernatorial and state assembly elections will be held on the same day, April 16. Why can't the presidential and national assembly elections be held on the same day too, for obvious reasons, including the fact that you can sort out the problem caused by the exclusion of some political parties from the ballot papers which MUST necessitate your ordering a reprint, and the fact that the banks would not have opened for stakeholders to collect money to meet their commitments to agents. 

8. Failure to take to heart the suggestion of preventing chaos rather than curing it may lead to problems the rush to conduct the election on Monday April 4 may cause.

9. Please remain fully assured of our continued respect for your office and the commission you head. 

Yours truly

For: CONGRESS FOR PROGRESSIVE CHANGE (CPC)
Prince Tony Momoh
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

On Sat, Apr 2, 2011 at 3:43 PM, Mobolaji ALUKO <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

2nd April, 2011

The Chairman,

 Independent National Electoral Commission

 Zambezi Street, 

 Maitama,Abuja.

POSTPONEMENT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS: ACN'S STAND

The Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) pursuant to our resolve as promoters of democratic norms and practices, received with shock, the news of the postponement of the National Assembly elections, after all the assurances that INEC was ready for the elections every inch of the way. We however wish to posit as follows:

a.     Given the huge logistical challenges as observed by every Party, we commend Prof Attahiru Jega for the courage to postpone the elections, which if allowed to continue in the circumstances would have again exposed INEC's unreadiness for the exercise effectively, added to this, his rare ability to apologise for such lapses.

b.     Given the sheer lack of capacity exhibited by the Operations Directorate, we are convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that INEC cannot between now and Monday, 4th April, 2011, account for all ballot papers already utilised, retrieve all sensitive materials in circulation and in the hands of various electoral officials nationwide. Added to this, is the fact that the same Operations and IT departments have not been able to avail political parties who are critical stakeholders in this exercise, the updated register of voters,

c.      Taking cognisance of the fact that it is impossible for especially opposition parties to re-finance their agents sent to remote parts of the country and other logistical requirements given the extremely short time frame,

d.     Bearing in mind the huge losses suffered by every sector of the national economy and especially ordinary Nigerians who eke out their living by the day, owing to the shutting down of all businesses,

e.     Seeking to avoid voter fatique and allow for proper management of the elections,

The ACN condemns in strong terms the neglect and calculated attempt by the internal bureaucracy in INEC but especially the Operations Directorate in subverting the process thereby causing the nation monumental losses and undermining the integrity of the entire exercise.

Sir, this is our position and we believe shifting each of the elections by one week is still within the confines of the electoral act. Please accept our kind prayer for God's guidance in your responsibility.

Yours Sincerely,

Senator Lawal Shuaibu 

National Secretary

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

   

ACN rejects Monday as new date for National Assembly poll

 

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has rejected Monday as the new date for the National Assembly election, which was postponed today (Saturday) due to the late arrival of the result collation sheet.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also described the bungling of the National Assembly poll as a national calamity and an avoidable embarrassment, which will further expose Nigeria to ridicule in the comity of nations.

It suggested that the National Assembly election should be held on Saturday, April 9th, while the Presidential election can be postponed to the middle of the upper week, and the Governorship/State Assembly election can still be held on April 16th.

''We reject this unilateral decision by INEC to fix the postponed National Assembly election for Monday. The new date does not give us enough time to re-mobilize our agents and put in place the necessary logistics.The only day between Saturday and Monday is Sunday, when banks do not open. Where does he expect us to get the funds to mobilize our agents for Monday's election? Only the PDP can quickly mobilise such funds. So that date cannot stand,  unless Jega is working against the opposition.

''Also, the delay in the arrival and distribution of the result sheet is not the only thing that was wrong with the election today (Saturday). There are many lapses on the part of INEC which cannot be rectified between now and Monday.

For example, a voter at a polling booth in Lagos (Aboyade Cole/Manuwa polling booth) said the Labour Party was not on the ballot that was used there. This is an invitation to post-electoral litigation.

''In Kwara, the number of ballot papers supplied was largely inadequate, meaning that many voters would have been disenfranchised if the election had not been postponed. In several states, registered voters could not find their names on

the register. In fact, at polling booth 004 in Amuwo Odofin in Lagos, less than 50 of the 720 who registered there found their names. It is therefore necessary for INEC to rectify these problems!'' ACN said.

The party said Prof. Jega should take the reports from his field officials to know the exact problems with today's election, with a view to rectifying them, instead of rushing to fix a new, unrealistic date for the postponed election.

It also advised the INEC Chairman to look inwards in identifying the reason for the bungling of the National Assembly poll, reminding him of ACN's consistent warning that his integrity alone will not translate to credible polls, and that the commission still harbours the rump of Maurice Iwu's mafia that ensured no election was successful during his (Iwu's) tenure.

ACN said while it appreciates Prof. Jega's candour in admitting INEC's shortcoming and took responsibility for it, that does not mitigate the fact that Nigerians have been embarrassed and their enthusiasm dampened by the commission's mis-step.

''For instance, if the materials were supposed to have arrived on Thursday and they did not arrive, as Jega said, shouldn't INEC have saved Nigerians this huge embarrassment and wastage of scarce resources by postponing the poll, instead of cancelling it after it has started? '' the party queried.

 

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

Action Congress of Nigeria

Ilorin, April 2nd 2011

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