15 political parties sponsored by PDP –APC

The All Progressives Congress says the 15 political parties and five presidential candidates that threatened to pull out of the March 28 and April 11 elections if the Independent National Electoral Commission insists on using card readers are sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party.

This is just as over 10 political parties have endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as their presidential candidate.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on Thursday that the 15 political parties were echoing everything the PDP demanded, including the deployment of soldiers for elections.

He said the PDP’s opposition to the use of card readers for the elections had shown the accuracy of the APC’s accusations that the ruling party was doing all in its powers to either prevent the election from holding or to rig it.

He said it was curious that after the APC had exposed the PDP’s plan at a press conference, the 15 political parties came out to push a PDP agenda.

He said, ‘’In an apparently-choreographed show, some 15 portfolio political parties called a press conference to also announce that they will oppose the use of the card reader, vowing to boycott the elections and use a legal process to prevent the use of the machine.

“These syndicated threats are the latest indications of the mortal fear in the corridors of power about the machine that has now become the nemesis of election riggers and manipulators worldwide.”

The APC spokesman said using Temporary Voter Cards instead of the Permanent Voter Cards would make the voting process porous.

He said it would also amount to a waste of funds as billions of naira had been spent on card readers and the PVCs.

Mohammed said the APC had information about a South-West governor that was already having nocturnal meetings with service chiefs on how to rig the elections.