Gyang Bere, Jos
Former Governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau North, Dr. Jonah David Jang, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of manipulating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable them rig the reschedule Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
He noted that the APC influenced INEC to postpone the elections because the outcome was not going to favour the party.
Jang disclosed this on Saturday while briefing journalists in Jos. He accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to destroy democracy in the country.
Jang said: “I believed that INEC is playing the game of cat and mouse with Nigerians. Nigerians have been suspecting INEC for a very long time and what they did last night has proved the suspicion of Nigerians.
“INEC has been preparing for this election in the last four years and on the eve of the elections, they lock themselves at the headquarters that they are holding meetings when sensitive electoral materials have been sent out and people were waiting to go to their polling units at 6am only to be told that the elections have been postponed. Nigeria is not a Banana Republic.
“If the PDP surrendered power after ruling for 16 years to the APC, and the APC has done very bad in governing Nigeria in the last four years, they are now afraid of losing elections. That is why they are manipulating the INEC.
“The INEC is no more independent; it is being manipulated by the government of the day and this is unfortunate for our democracy that some of us fought for. I am one of the founding fathers of G18 and G34 that eventually formed the PDP. If Abacha had lived only God knows if I would still be alive today.”
He explained that Nigeria is bigger than an individual and any political party, saying the postponement of the election has brought hardship and pains for ordinary Nigerians, political parties and the candidates.