All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...

All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...: All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting ... : The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called ...

All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...

All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...: All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting ... : The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called ...

All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...

All Progressives Congress (APC): All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jona...: All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting ... : The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called ...

Hold President Jonathan responsible if Ebola cases worsen in Nigeria, APC tells Nigerians

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Nigerians must hold President Goodluck Jonathan personally responsible if the Ebola Virus Disease spreads more than it has done in the country, after he failed to stop a rally in his support in Port Harcourt on Saturday, despite warning from individuals and groups.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said never before has a President of a country sabotaged his own Administration's policy and endangered the lives of his compatriots as President Jonathan has done over the issue of Ebola.

It said the same President who declared a national emergency on Ebola and advised against large gatherings to prevent the spread of the virus was the first to flout his own advice by his failure to stop the rally by the so-called Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) in Port Harcourt, a few days after the virus was detected in the city and at a time that contact tracing was going on to find all those who may have had contact with the medical doctor victim of the disease.

''On the altar of political desperation, President Jonathan put the lives of Nigerians in danger. In order to realize his ambition for re-election, President Jonathan has shown he is ready to sacrifice as many lives of Nigerians as possible. There goes the President's statement that his political ambition is not worth the blood of any
Nigerian. This President simply says what he doesn't mean.

''As we said in our statement of Aug. 28th 2014 calling on President Jonathan to halt the TAN rallies, especially the one in Port Harcourt, could anyone guarantee that none of those who have had contact with the medical doctor who died of the disease will attend the rally? That is why we are calling on Nigerians to hold the President responsible if Ebola spreads more than it has in the country,'' APC said.

The party said shortly after it made the call for a halt to the TAN rallies, others, including the NBA and Prof. Itse Sagay, in a clearly patriotic duty, issued similar calls.

''In fact, the APC in Rivers described such a rally most appropriately as a 'firing squad against the people'. But because he will rather be re-elected than give a damn over the safety of the same people who voted him into office, because he will rather transmogrify than transform, President Jonathan ignored all the calls and allowed the rally to hold. This is an unprecedented act of political
desperation,'' it said.

APC said for those who might try to spin the issue by saying the President has no control over the organizers of the rally, they should be asked who the rallies will benefit, whose top officials, including Secretary to the Government Anyim Pius Anyim, have been attending the rallies and what is the source of the funding of the gatherings.

''The TAN rallies are government-sanctioned. The TAN rallies are the Jonathan Administration's cunning way of beating the INEC ban on campaigns for next year's general elections. The TAN rallies highlight the impunity of the Jonathan Administration. President Jonathan is the sole beneficiary. He can stop the rallies today, if only he wants to put the nation's interest above his own personal interest,'' the party said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Aug. 31st 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting ...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting ...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately halt the rallies being organized across t...

APC to Pres. Jonathan: TAN's rallies are flouting Ebola control measures, stop them now!

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately halt the rallies being organized across the nation in his support by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), saying the rallies are jeopardizing Nigeria's efforts to control the spread of Ebola.

''Mr. President, you said your ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian. But the TAN rallies for your re-election are endangering the lives of thousands of Nigerians in these days of Ebola. Some things must simply transcend politics. This is one of them. Please stop the rallies now,'' the party said in a statement issued in Ilorin on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

It said the President must in particular ensure that the rally slated for Port Harcourt on Saturday is stopped, in view of the spread of the Ebola virus to the Rivers capital and the fact that 100 people have been placed under surveillance there following the death of a medical doctor from a suspected Ebola disease in the city.

''If TAN goes ahead to organize its rally in Port Harcourt, can anyone guarantee that none of those who have had contact with the medical doctor will attend? It can only be better imagined the kind of danger that those who will attend the rally will be subjected to. Therefore, President Jonathan has a historic opportunity to put the well being of his compatriots above politics, for once,'' APC said.

The party reminded President Jonathan of the statement he made on Aug. 8th, 2014, when he was declaring the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria a national emergency, thus: ''Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should, in the meantime, discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.”

It also reminded the President that his administration has postponed the resumption of private and public primary and secondary schools across the nation as part of the measures to curtail the spread of the virus, wondering what message the same government was sending to Nigerians by allowing TAN rallies to continue.

''Mr. President, add this to the fact that Nigeria's economy is losing millions of dollars to the Ebola disease, and you will realize that the need to control the disease supersedes personal political considerations,'' APC said.

The party said the TAN rallies in Awka and Ibadan, and the forthcoming ones in Port Harcourt and elsewhere flout the advice by the President against large gatherings that can encourage the spread of the disease.

It described as untenable the argument that the rallies are not being organised by the government, hence the President has no control over them.

''Mr. President, you are the sole beneficiary of these rallies. Top officials of your administration, led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim, have been attending the rallies. The signatures being collected by TAN are ostensibly to encourage you to run again. So this is your show,'' APC said

The party wondered how President Jonathan can, on one hand, be complaining about the stigmatization of Nigerians by other countries over Ebola and, on the other hand, turning a blind eye when his supporters are doing things to flout the Ebola control measures put in place by his Administration.

''The embassies of the foreign nations in Nigeria are seeing all that is happening. They are seeing how the efforts of the federal government to control Ebola are being sabotaged by the supporters of the President. How then can we complain when our citizens are stigmatized abroad? How can we complain when the foreign governments issue travel advisories to their citizens coming to Nigeria? How can we complain when they start barring Nigerians from coming to their countries on account of the Ebola virus?

''This is why we are calling on President Jonathan to call his supporters to order today. We are also calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the President not to endanger the lives of Nigerians simply because of his personal ambition,'' it said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Ilorin, Aug. 28th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC calls territorial gain by Boko Haram, Nigerian...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC calls territorial gain by Boko Haram, Nigerian...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as an unprecedented national embarrassment the increasing seizure of Nigerian to...

APC calls territorial gain by Boko Haram, Nigerian soldiers foray into Cameroon national embarrassment, urges Pres. Jonathan to rally nation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as an unprecedented national embarrassment the increasing seizure of Nigerian towns by the terrorist group Boko Haram and the reported fleeing of 480 Nigerian soldiers to Cameroon during an attack on a military base in Gamboru-Ngala on Monday.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently address Nigerians on the worsening security situation in the northern part of the country that has allowed Boko Haram to proclaim its rule over a part of the nation's territory.

It said in the face of the biggest threat to Nigeria's unity and territorial integrity since the country's civil war, President Jonathan must also put partisanship aside and rally the nation against Boko Haram, which by all indications seems to be getting bolder and stronger, to such an extent that the group is now hoisting its flag over parts of the nation's territory.

APC also restated its call for an urgent national stakeholders' conference on security that will cut across party lines to help fashion a solution to what has now become a clear and present danger to the survival of Nigeria, while pledging its unalloyed support for any sincere effort by the Federal Government to end the insurgency as quickly as possible.

As an immediate first step, the party calls on President Jonathan to immediately halt the illegal electioneering campaign by his Ministers, other appointees and supporters, saying Nigeria must survive as a nation before any party or individual can rule over it.

''These campaigns, ostensibly by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) but in truth being bankrolled by the Federal Government, offends national sensibilities at a time our citizens are being daily slaughtered and our troops are struggling against the terrorists who are bent on balkanizing our nation. Needless to remind Nigerians that over 200 school girls remain missing more than 130 days after they were abducted,'' the party said, adding: ''The President must put politics aside for now and lead the nation to defeat Boko Haram.''
It also charged the military high command and its civilian leadership to quit politicking and fashion out ways for the military to live up to its constitutional responsibility of maintaining Nigeria's territorial integrity.

APC said it is a shame that while the Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro has been prancing around in Ekiti and Osun state marshaling troops to harass the opposition during the elections in those states, Nigeria has been losing territory after territory to Boko Haram.

Equally worrisome, the party said, is the development that has seen some defence chiefs Chief become the chief campaign managers to President Jonathan, an action that is a clear violation of the military's professional ethics and which has embroiled the military unnecessarily in politics, at a time they should  be rallying the troops against Boko Haram.

''Nigeria has never had it so bad. The country's military that was being hailed worldwide for its sterling performance at global peacekeeping missions has now reached a level where its troops are deserting, engaging in mutiny or simply unwilling to fight.

''There is no way to spin what happened on Monday, when 480 Nigerian soldiers escaped to Cameroon. The Ministry of Defence called it 'tactical manoeuvre', but did not explain how soldiers fighting insurgents along Nigeria's border with Cameroon will foray 80 kilometres into Cameroon! Also, if the Nigerian troops' foray into Cameroon was in the spirit of the cooperation between the two countries in the fight against the terrorists, as some spin doctors have said, why were the Nigerian soldiers disarmed and then herded into schools in Maroua, 80kms from the Nigerian border?

 ''The issue that should agitate the minds of Nigerians now is whether our troops are adequately equipped to battle Boko Haram and, if not, what has happened to the funds allocated for such in the past. As we said in our earlier comments on this issue, between 2010 and 2014, a total of US$14 billion was allocated for defence, security and the police. What has happened to these funds?

''Nigerians must start asking questions rather than just blaming soldiers. Nigerians must ask why the alarm raised by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno concerning the low morale and lack of necessary fighting equipment by the military was dismissed on the altar of partisanship. Nigerians must ask what next, if a rag tag band of marauders are now carving out territories for themselves in our nation. Things cannot and must not continue like this,'' APC said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Lagos, Aug. 26th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC says assurances by INEC boss offer hope of fre...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC says assurances by INEC boss offer hope of fre...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Nigeria may be able to organize truly free, fair, credible and transparent elections in t...

APC says assurances by INEC boss offer hope of free, fair elections if....

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Nigeria may be able to organize truly free, fair, credible and transparent elections in the nearest future if the recent comments by INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega reflect the thinking of the electoral commission.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said three issues stand out in comments credited to the INEC boss: that hooded security personnel would no longer be allowed during elections, that the security paraphernalia in future elections should be under the control of INEC and that the Commission will use e-card readers for the 2015 general elections.

It said if indeed the INEC boss meant what he said, then it is a breakthrough of sorts in Nigeria's long quest to hold elections that are not only free, fair and transparent, but are seen to be so by the local and international community.

APC however said it would hold Prof. Jega to his promises to avoid a repeat of the situation in the past when promises made by the electoral chief were not kept.

''During the voter's registration exercise, Prof. Jega vowed that anyone who engages in double or multiple registration would be prosecuted. However, some parties who probably had an advanced knowledge that his statement was an empty threat apparently encouraged their members to engage in double or multiple registration, thus gaining undue advantage over others, yet they were never prosecuted.

''Also, during the last Ekiti Governorship Election, Prof. Jega announced that colour-coded ballot papers would be used in different local governments to prevent election fraud, but that never happened and no reason was given for the failure. This is why we intend to hold Prof. Jega to every word he said in connection with the key issues mentioned above,'' the party said.

APC recalled that before the Osun governorship election earlier this month, the party warned that the use of hooded security personnel would encourage hoodlums with access to police or DSS uniforms to invade the state and perpetrate mayhem in the name of providing security.

''Sadly, that is exactly what happened during the election. In fact, media reports have said at least one person is now being prosecuted after he and others were found wearing black T-shirts with the inscription 'Police' in front and 'DSS' on its back during the Osun election. Is there any clearer evidence that some of those who came to Osun in hoods were actually fake security agents?'' the party queried.

It also recalled that on May 26th, 2014, the APC issued a statement in which it tasked INEC to immediately commence the process that will lead to the use of the e-card reader for the elections in Ekiti and Osun States, if indeed the electoral body is committed to ensuring that the polls are free, fair and transparent.

''If that advice had been heeded by INEC, perhaps the allegations of electoral fraud, and the litigation following the elections in both states, would not have arisen.

''As we said in the May 26th statement, 'Impersonation, multiple voting and endless altercations and associated tension will be eliminated at the voting centres with the use of e-card reader and not by any other means. Also, the e-card reader will ensure the automatic recording of all accredited voters with verified permanent voter's cards in such a way that does not lend itself to manipulation, thus preventing the falsification of results at the collation centres',''
APC said.

The party challenged INEC to put its money where its mouth is by using October's Governorship Election in Adamawa State to test the measures
that will ensure credible elections in 2015, including barring hooded security personnel, taking charge of the security men and women to be deployed for the election and using e-card reader to forestall electoral fraud.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Aug. 25th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC uncovers plan to relaunch acronym battle again...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC uncovers plan to relaunch acronym battle again...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over a plan by unscrupulous and apparently-hired hands to relaunch the ...

APC uncovers plan to relaunch acronym battle against party ahead of 2015 elections

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over a plan by unscrupulous and apparently-hired hands to relaunch the acronym battle against the party by seeking to register three new parties that bear the acronyms of the same parties that merged to become the APC.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said those behind the phantom parties, who are apparently working at the behest of people
who have a mortal fear of the APC, have applied to INEC to register the Allied Council of Nigeria (ACN); Advanced National Patriotic Party (ANPP) and Conservative People's Congress (CPC).

It said the fact that the acronyms of the three entities tally with those of the APC component parties (ACN, ANPP and CPC) is not accidental, but a grand design by those who have been having sleepless nights since the APC was registered.

''It is worthy of note that the three applications to INEC for the registration of the three organizations as political parties were made on the same day. Apparently, common sense takes flight in the face of
great desperation!

''Their plan is simple: Once the parties are registered, they will then apply to change their logos to those of the original ACN, ANPP and CPC, and then hope to be on the ballot for next year's general
elections. Just before the elections, the sponsors of the phantom parties will then send out messages saying the APC has splintered into its component parties for the purpose of the election. Whatever
happens, their plan is to confuse the electorate and hamper the electoral fortunes of the APC,'' the party said.

APC called on INEC not to succumb to the antics of those who are planning to sabotage the 2015 general elections and win elections by subterfuge.

''This acronym battle is a part of the larger war against our party to prevent its registration. Nigerians will recollect that the same people, apparently, applied to register a phantom APC the moment it
became clear that our merger would succeed and that INEC would register our party, having met all the requirements to consummate the merger.

''Thankfully, INEC refused to compromise its neutrality and integrity and chose to act in accordance with the law by registering our party. We urge the electoral body to do the same now, in the face of
unprecedented desperation by those who believe they can only win elections by cutting corners,'' the party said.

It also called on Nigerians to be vigilant as the 2015 elections approach, saying those who are now coming to terms with the reality that the APC is a viable alternative in the country's political
firmament will stop at nothing to seek to mar the electoral fortunes of the party.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Aug. 24th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC warns against arrest of its Chairman in Borno,...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC warns against arrest of its Chairman in Borno,...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly warned against the plan by the DSS, acting at the behest of some politicians, to arres...

APC warns against arrest of its Chairman in Borno, urges DSS to shun partisanship

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly warned against the plan by the DSS, acting at the behest of some politicians, to arrest its Chairman in Borno State Hon Ali Abubakar Dalori on trumped-up charges, saying it is capable of precipitating a crisis in an already-volatile environment.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the situation in Borno is already very dire, hence no one should add fuel to a raging fire simply because of scorched-earth politics.

It also warned the DSS to resist the growing temptation to dabble into politics, even while it is becoming very glaring that the agency is being compromised under the present political dispensation.

''The careless and clearly partisan statements being made by DSS Spokesperson Marilyn Ogar have shown all discerning Nigerians the direction in which the agency is leaning. However, it must still exercise great caution in order not to spark a needless crisis in Borno.

''We have it on good authority that with the recent movement of Ali Modu Sheriff to the PDP, attempts are being made to destabilize the APC in Borno, using agencies of state like the DSS. The take-off point is the arrest of our Chairman in the state on trumped-up charges.

''Let those who are seeking to trigger a crisis in Borno know that the people of the state are resolute in their determination to ensure a level playing field in the run-up to the 2015 election. It is curious that the DSS has suddenly unearth supposed offences committed by Hon Ali Abubakar Dalori to warrant his arrest, now that Sheriff has defected to the PDP. 

''Again, we are compelled to warn the DSS that, as an organ of state, it cannot afford to be partisan. An agency being sustained by the taxpayers cannot turn around to hunt the same taxpayers. An agency that is supposed to protect the people of Nigeria cannot be the same agency being used to witch-hunt the opposition.

''Unless the DSS turns a new leaf and stop making itself a tool in the hands of politicians, the agency will ridicule itself and weaken its capacity to function effectively,'' APC said.

The party urged the DSS and other security agencies to concentrate their efforts on arresting the daily carnage being perpetrated in Borno and other states by Boko Haram, instead of allowing those who helped to precipitate the carnage in the first instance to further destabilize the state.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Abuja, Aug. 19th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC accuses DSS of crass partisanship, calls spoke...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC accuses DSS of crass partisanship, calls spoke...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of crass partisanship and unprofessional conduc...

APC accuses DSS of crass partisanship, calls spokesperson unfit for her office

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of crass partisanship and unprofessional conduct over its actions and comments on the recent election in Osun State.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said the spokesperson for the agency, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, should be properly trained and given the necessary exposure so she can speak with knowledge and facts, instead of making baseless and incautious statements.

''It is sad that a spokesperson for the DSS does not know there is no offence called 'loitering' under Nigerian laws. For her to now go on national television to say the APC's National Publicity Secretary was arrested for 'loitering' in Osogbo on the eve of the state's governorship election is the height of ignorance and constitutes a great embarrassment to DSS.

''It is even worse that the so-called spokesperson, ever so glib, would make a joke out of such a faux pas by an agency that is supposed to be non-partisan and highly professionalized. How on earth can any human being not be disoriented when 15 hooded gunmen arrest him/her and point their weapons at his/her head as they did to me on that night in Osogbo?

''How can a spokesperson for such a sensitive government agency not understand that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides for freedom of movement? On what basis is Ms. Ogar questioning what the APC's National Publicity Secretary was doing in Osun, when the same fellow has not questioned the presence of Musiliu Obanikoro, Chris Uba and the likes in the same state. or are those people from Osun State?

''Was it not publicly announced that the APC was moving its headquarters to Osun to give support for Gov. Rauf Aregbesola? Why didn't Ms. Ogar question the presence of President Goodluck Jonathan or Vice President Namadi Sambo in Osun when they came too, if she was been fair? It is sad that Ms. Ogar has turned herself to the spokesperson of the PDP by echoing what that party has said on the Osun election. This is unprofessional and irresponsible,'' it said.

APC said by spearheading the mass arrest of its leaders and members in
Osun before and during the Aug. 9th governorship election in the state, and by preventing the rally planned by the NLC in support of Gov. Aregbesola from holding, the DSS has decided to pitch its tent with the PDP instead of staying neutral.

The party said the questions to ask Ms. Ogar are: ''How many PDP leaders were arrested in Osun? If the rally by the NLC had been planned in support of the PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, would the DSS have aborted it? Why must the DSS send hooded gunmen to police an election that is a civic matter? Does Ms.Ogar bother to read and understand the Nigerian constitution to know the rights of the citizens?''

It described as a tissue of lies the allegation by Ms. Ogar that the party tried to bribe the DSS with 14 million Naira before the Osun election, wondering why the DSS did not arrest the official who offered the alleged bribe.

''Apparently, Ms. Ogar has never head of a 'sting operation' that is widely used by security agencies to catch a person who is committing a crime. The allegation by Ms. Ogar would have been sweet in her mouth had the DSS mounted a sting operation to catch whoever was offering the alleged bribe, and then prosecute him or her,'' the party said, calling the allegation cheap blackmail by a conspiratorial
organization.

APC said it is important to educate the likes of Ogar, and indeed the entire DSS, that election is not war, but a celebration of democracy, hence DSS agents should drop their hoods and hide away their menacing guns when next they are posted to police an election anywhere in the country.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Abuja, Aug. 14th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC raises the alarm over state-spo...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC raises the alarm over state-spo...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the mass arrest and intimidation of its members in Osun on Saturday as t...

Osun Election: APC raises the alarm over state-sponsored political terror in Osun, calls it coup against democracy

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the mass arrest and intimidation of its members in Osun on Saturday as the state's governorship election continues, saying over 250 of its members have been arrested so far in Osun.

''At this point, APC is constrained to alert Nigerians and the international community that what is going on now in Osun State Nigeria is not an election but a coup against democracy,'' the party said in a statement issued in Osogbo by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

''This is definitely not an ordinary election. It is the total hijack of the process and direct violation of the rights of the people. Osun State has been turned into a theater of war. An ongoing state-sponsored political terror against the Osun people and the entire people of Nigerians has been unleashed by an elected President against his own people, against his own country, in an unprecedented act of political desperation.

''As at 11 am this morning, over 250 APC members and leaders have been arrested all over the state by the security task force. The DSS alone has over 50 APC members in their custody. On the contrary, no single PDP member has been arrested so far. This is barbaric and constitutes an infringement on the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of those who have been arrested,'' it said.

APC said the magnitude of arrests, the viciousness of the operation and the widespread intimidation of APC members have confirmed the party's fears, which were expressed in several press statements ahead of the election.

The party said President Jonathan, in an unparalleled desecration of national institutions, has simply turned the men and women in uniform against the people, as the entire security outfits now owe their allegiance to the President, rather than to the nation, and are at his beck and call.

It said even as the election progresses, police officers from other neighboring states are being shipped into Osun to intimidate the state's voters.

''PDP is not relenting in its plan to unleash terror and provoke violence after the accreditation of voters in order to prevent APC members from voting. Tear gas and gun shots will be released sporadically to scare voters from voting and create confusion at the poling units, so the agents of the PDP can substitute ballot papers and boxes,'' APC said.

The party also alerted the people of Osun and indeed all Nigerians to the use of fake Youth Corpers to perpetrate massive rigging in the election, adding that the fake Youth Corpers, who were procured by the Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro, have hijacked the accreditation of voters in many polling units.

''Genuine NYSC members who had already been cleared and paid for the election today are being turned back in favour of the fake Corpers. The genuine Corps members have been substituted with fake ones in Ede South and Ede North, as they discovered that their names have been removed and the Obanikoro-procured fake Corpers used to substitute them.

''All these could not have been possible without the active connivance of the Prof. Attahiru Jega-led INEC. This confirms our worst fears that a body that is supposed to be an unbiased umpire has descended into the fray,'' it said.

APC said its members who were arrested in Osun include:

- Alhaji Tijani Oladosu (aka TILAD), Quadri Owonikoko (a.k.a Integrity). Arrested about midnight, their whereabouts are still unknown

- Lai Mohammed, Sunday Dare, and Afolabi Salisu. They were picked up before mid-night Friday by nine gun-totting masked DSS operatives and driven to the DSS headquarters in Osogbo. Harassed and deeply traumatized, they were finally released by DSS Saturday morning

-  Over 40 voters, all APC members, arrested in Erin Osun while queueing for accreditation.

- Alhaji Raimi Shitu, Vice Executive Secretary, Odo-Otin LG, arrested midnight

- Chairman of O'SCHOOL in Osun and Chieftain of APC, Alhaji Lai Oyeduntan's house invaded in Osogbo

- APC stalwart and Octogenarian lawyer, Pa J.O Fakayode, being detained in Ora Igbomina after being picked up by security agents from Oke Ila

- All APC agents in Osu, Atakumosa West, arrested by soldiers

- All APC coordinators in Ifedayo LGA arrested.

-ASP Venture Onos, Second in Command, Police Command, Osun while on election duty, arrested for warning soldiers against  the maltreatment of APC members.

- Chief Abiola Ogundokun, PDP chieftain in Iwo, is leading a detachment of DSS agents to arrest APC leaders and key members.

- All over Osun state, APC members are being chased and harassed by PDP thugs aided by security agents.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Osogbo, Aug. 9th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC spokesman, arrested and released, narrates ord...

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC spokesman, arrested and released, narrates ord...: The Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said his Gestapo Style arrest by hooded security...

APC spokesman, arrested and released, narrates ordeal in the hands of security agents

The Spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said his Gestapo Style arrest by hooded security agents in Osogbo on Friday night, for no reason beyond the fact that he belongs to the opposition, shows the level of illegality, lawlessness, anarchy and intolerance to which Nigeria has descended under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan.

In a statement he issued in Osogbo on Saturday, shortly after he was released, Alhaji Mohammed said he was arrested along with Mr. Sunday Dare, the Media Aide to APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Mr. Afolabi Salisu, Deputy Chief of Staff to Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State.

''We were being driven to the Government House when we were stopped at a military check point by men in military and DSS uniforms, all hooded and armed to the teeth with AK-47 assault rifles, pistols and other weapons. Since there was no curfew in Osun state and people were moving around freely, we felt it was a routine check.

''Suddenly, the men, some of them apparently drunk, ordered us out of the car, took our phones, pointed their assault rifles at our heads and said 'you are under arrest'. They herded us into their bus like animals and drove away. There is no doubt that they knew who we are because I introduced myself!

''From our encounter with our tormentors, there is also no doubt that these were not just soldiers and DSS officials, there were also ex-militants and thugs, all clad in military and DSS uniforms but apparently lacking in any training! We also witnessed how men in military and DSS uniform fired their guns at the gate leading to the residence of Senator Isiaka Adeleke to force it open!

''We asked them why we were being arrested, but they ignored our question as they drove for close to one hour before veering into a compound that turned out to be the offices of the DSS. There, we met people who had been previously arrested and stripped of their clothing, many of them bloodied from the beatings to which they must have been subjected.

''We were herded to one side as our tormentors marched around triumphantly, in what could well have been a scene from the Ukraine! We were waiting for our turn to be stripped of our apparels and taken along with those who were arrested earlier to the DSS cells when a man who is apparently a senior DSS official intervened and ordered our release. The men who arrested us, apparently unhappy at the order to set us free, rejected the order, until the man asserted his authority and even accompanied us to where we were arrested from.

''Back there, we discovered that our driver has been badly beaten and even robbed of his personal belongings by the same security agents being paid by the taxpayers to protect the citizens, whose ranks have now been swelled, willingly, by thugs and ex-militants, armed and dressed in official uniforms by the PDP and sanctioned by the Jonathan-led Federal Government!

''This arrest is not about Lai Mohammed, Sunday Dare or Afolabi Salisu, whoever we may be, but about the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of Nigerians, ordinary Nigerians, to move around freely, associate with any party of their choice and express their opinions without being molested or arrested.

''The way and manner we were harassed, arrested and dehumanized on Friday night show that Nigerian citizens can no longer be sure that the security agents they encounter on the roads or anywhere else are well-trained and highly-disciplined men and women in the military, police, DSS and others that we used to know. What we have now are Jonathan's soldiers, policemen and DSS officials who have since stopped working for the nation but are now the enforcement arm of the PDP.

''As we write this, APC leaders and members are still being harassed and arrested across Osun State. We have just received reports that our members were arrested in Ifelodun Local Government Ward 10,.Atakumosa East Local Government and Ife East Local Government, Okerewe Wards 2 and 3. Over all we have ninety-seven leaders of our party in detention and the arrest has not stopped. This cannot be right.

''Our party, the APC, has no doubt whatsoever that the depravity being exhibited under President Jonathan's watch, in the name of politics, has his imprimatur. We have no doubt that elections, which should be a celebration of democracy, have now been turned to war because of the desperation of President Jonathan to win re-election at all costs. We have no doubt that the anarchic Minister of State for Defence and Minister of Police Affairs, who are leading the ''troops'' in Osun as they did in Ekiti, are taking their cue from President Jonathan.

''If those Ministers can move around freely in Osun and elsewhere, why can't other Nigerians, irrespective of the party they belong to? If a PDP hireling like Chris Uba can be put in the command of 50 soldiers of the Nigerian Army, why should anyone still be under any illusion that the Nigerian Army is still serving the nation? Where else in the world is a thug commanding disciplined forces?

''We, Lai Mohammed, Sunday Dare and Afolabi Salisu, are just fortunate to be alive. The guns pointed at our heads by drunken armed men could have gone off! Since our arrest took place in the dark, we could have been driven to an unknown destination and shot dead! This is a dangerous time for Nigeria and her democracy. Irrespective of the outcome of the Osun election, democracy has been dealt a near-mortal blow. 73,000 'security agents', including the military, police, DSS, Civil Defence, ex-militants, thugs and murderers, deployed to police election in just one state? There is no better indication that we are in a militarized democracy.

''Again, we call on President Jonathan to stop deceiving the world. In one breath, this President says he is committed to credible elections and that his political ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian. In another, he sanctions state-sponsored harassment, intimidation and even killing of ordinary Nigerians by security forces that are now the enforcement arm of the ruling party, all in the name of politics. 

''He desecrates national institutions by willfully using them against the opposition. This is not the democracy that many of our compatriots fought and died for. This is not the Nigeria that was envisaged by our past heroes. It is time for all concerned to step in and stop President Jonathan before he brings the country crashing down on our heads,'' APC said

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Osogbo, Aug. 9th, 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: APC accuses new police boss of givi...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: APC accuses new police boss of givi...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the new Police Commissioner in Osun State, Ibrahim Maishanu, of distributing cash to ...

Osun election: APC accuses new police boss of giving cash to security agents to skew election in favour of PDP

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the new Police Commissioner in Osun State, Ibrahim Maishanu, of distributing cash to police personnel and soldiers so they can work to give the PDP victory in Saturday's governorship election in the State.

In a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Maishanu distributed the money after addressing the police personnel and soldiers at the NYSC camp in Ede on Friday, during which he told them point blank that his mission is to ensure PDP's victory at the elections.

it said the new police boss gave every police officer present 50,000 Naira; other ranks 30,000 Naira each and every non-commissioned soldier 45,000 Naira.

''We salute the courage and patriotism of some security agents who gave us this valuable information, and who have vowed never to do anything to subvert the country's constitution and its democracy,
whether or not they are being lured to do so with filthy lucre.

''The fact that there are still good men and women even in the security agencies that have become highly-partisan gives us hope that our country's democracy will survive this unprecedented assault from those who swore an oath to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,'' APC said.

The party wondered where the Police Commissioner got the huge amounts of cash he gave away so casually in order to use security agencies to thwart the will of the people.

It said even as the police boss was sharing out the money in Ede, Chris Uba, a hireling of the PDP, was setting down in Osogbo with the 50 troops he was given from Enugu with the mission to use the result sheets already given to him to manipulate the results of the election, as well as to harass and brutalize any APC member who would not let the PDP carry out its rigging plan, earlier exposed by the APC, during Saturday's election.

''Where else in the world will the government give a man who is not in the military 50 troops to command, for the purpose of rigging an election? It is now very clear that the PDP's desperation to win at all cost in Osun is right from the top! Now, neither the Chief of Army Staff nor the Inspector General of Police can exonerate themselves from the PDP's rigging manual.

''And of course the man behind all this is President Goodluck Jonathan, who keeps assuring the international community of his commitment to free and fair elections even as he continues to lead the
process of subverting credible polls. After all, the President is responsible for the conduct of all public officials appointed by him.


The party said those who are colluding with the desperate PDP to subvert democracy today must realize that power is transient, and that in the fullness of time, everyone will account for his or her actions.

''Today we may be in opposition, but that position itself is not permanent. This is why we have consistently fought for our nation's democracy to survive. We remain confident that with the support of Nigerians, the PDP's evil machination, whether in Osun or anywhere else, will fail,'' it said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Osogbo, Aug. 8th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: Partisanship of INEC, security agen...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: Partisanship of INEC, security agen...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said every available evidence going into Saturday's governorship election in Osun State ...

Osun election: Partisanship of INEC, security agencies raises serious doubts about credible polls - APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said every available evidence going into Saturday's governorship election in Osun State shows the clear hostility by INEC and the security agencies towards the APC, which is one of the parties fielding candidates for the election.

In a statement issued in Osogbo on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party in particular expressed grave concern over recent pronouncements by INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega, including the one pushing party agents 300 metres away from polling booths, that clearly negate the provisions of the Electoral Act.

It also cited another indication of the partisan stance of INEC, which is supposed to be a neutral arbiter but has now descended into the fray, as the Commission's blunt refusal to respond to all the issues of concern raised by the APC, with less than 24 hours to the election.

Citing instances, APC said: ''On the 4th of August 2014, the Osun State Secretary of the APC wrote a letter to the State Resident Electoral Commissioner asking to be furnished with the certified copy of the Register with which the Permanent Voters Cards were distributed.

''Again on the 6th of August, the Osun State Secretary of the APC wrote a letter to the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner asking for the resolution of discrepancies in the updated voters register, a copy of which was given to each of the political parties. In the said letter, the party made particular mention of discrepancies in various units in Wards 01 Ayedade Local Govt, Ward 06, Atakumosa Local Govt, Ward 05, Ede North Local Govt,Ward 02, Ejigbo Local Govt, Ward 06, Ifedayo Local Govt. Up till this moment, the party is yet to
receive any response to either of the letters.''

The party also said that at the stakeholders meeting that was chaired by the INEC Chairman on Wednesday, Aug. 6th, it (APC) asked INEC to make available to all political parties the Voters Identification Numbers of all unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards and publicly declare all such cards invalid for the purpose of Saturday's Election, not noted: ''We are yet to hear anything about this demand less than 24 hours to the election.''

''More worrisome, however, is the pronouncement by Prof Jega that party agents won't be allowed within 300 metres of the polling booth. We sincerely hope Prof Jega has since reversed himself on this matter, otherwise we can all kiss free and fair election in Osun on Saturday goodbye,'' it said.

On the security side, APC said the police, military and DSS personnel deployed to Osun for the election have left no one in doubt that they are working for the PDP and not for the nation.

Citing instances of the security agencies' partisanship, the party said the needless and senseless show of power displayed by the DSS in Osun a few weeks ago, the disruption of the NLC solidarity in support of Gov. Aregbesola by both the police and the DSS, and the presence of the Minister of State for Defence and the Minister of Police Affairs presence in Osun in the last one week are clear pointers to the partiality of the security deployed to Osun state for the election.

''Then the sudden removal of the Osun state Commissioner of Police and all his deputies less than 48 hours to the election; and the fact that Chris Uba, not known to be a military man, has been given 50 soldiers to command in Osun on Saturday to terrorize and brutalize any APC supporter that may want to disrupt the PDP rigging plan, are enough reasons for anyone to be seriously concerned.

''Add to these the fact that the election has been militarized, with over 73,000 security operatives, both official and unofficial, swarming all over Osun; hundreds of thugs in civil defence uniforms, ex-militants, criminals and ex-convicts and murderers all in various official uniforms being allowed to run riot in Osun state, with the full connivance and open collaboration of the official security agents, and one will see nothing but a recipe for chaos as well as the intimidation, harassment and arrest of opposition supporters,'' it said.

APC reiterated its call on the international community, local and international observers, people of conscience and indeed all lovers of democracy to pay a close attention to the events before, during and after Saturday's election and to take all the necessary actions to help make the election free, fair, credible and transparent.

''This is all we ask for, and we seek no favour from anyone beyond ensuring a level playing field for the candidates in Saturday's election, in the interest of the survival of our nascent democracy and in order to enthrone a culture of credible elections in our country,'' the party said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Osogbo, Aug. 8th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: APC says 500,000 unclaimed permanen...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun election: APC says 500,000 unclaimed permanen...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a red alert on the Aug. 9 gubernatorial election in the State of Osun, saying about half...

Osun election: APC says 500,000 unclaimed permanent voters card have been cloned, urges INEC to be vigilant

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a red alert on the Aug. 9 gubernatorial election in the State of Osun, saying about half a million Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), which were either unclaimed, not handed over to their authentic owners or were obtained fraudulently, have been cloned by unscrupulous persons ahead of the election, with the sole purpose of rigging.

''These cloned cards, mostly in the hands of persons from states other than Osun, are to be used along with the authentic PVCs issued to the electorate in Osun state during the Aug. 9 Osun governorship
election,'' the party said in a statement issued in Osogbo on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

''Already, we can confirm that the hundreds of thousands of people in possession of these cloned cards all over Nigeria, especially in the states neighboring Osun, are being induced monetarily and instructed to super impose their photographs on the cloned PVCs.

''The game plan is for them to arrive early at the the polling booths on Election Day, where conniving electoral officials will turn a blind eye to this fraud by not checking whether or not the names of these
impersonators with cloned cards are on the voters register before going ahead to accredit them, to pave the way for them to use the cloned cards to vote at the expense of the genuine holders of the
cards,'' it said.

APC said based on the dubious plan, unscrupulous security agents - both official and unofficial - will be at hand to brutalize, arrest and detain any agent or voter who may want to challenge this
illegality.

The party therefore called on INEC, if it is not part of this diabolical plan, to ensure that only the voters registers used to issue out the PVCs to voters up till Aug. 4th will be used to conduct
the Aug. 9 Election.

''We also demand that copies of these registers, which are already in possession of the local government electoral officers, be made available to all political parties at least 72 hours before the
election. Anything short of using the registers that contained the names of the authentic voters will not be acceptable,'' it warned.

APC thanked the people of the state of Osun, who are desirous of a free, fair and credible election on Aug. 9, for reaching out to the party with very useful information that will thwart any rigging plan
and ensure the success of the polls.

The party urged the people of the state in general and APC members in particular to be very vigilant ahead, during and after voting on Saturday, against the background of the desperation to win at all
costs by the PDP candidate, who went ahead to conjure an opinion poll purportedly by USAID showing he was leading every other candidates, until the USAID disowned the phantom poll.

''Their desperation knows no bounds, hence they will do anything, no matter how illegal, to thwart the will of the people. But no power is bigger than people's power, and no inducement is worth anyone's conscience. The votes of the people of the state of Osun must not only
be counted, but must count on Saturday,'' it said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Osogbo, Aug. 4th 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC mandates members to report in O...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC mandates members to report in O...:  The All Progressives Congress (APC) has mandated all its elected members at state and national levels to converge on Osun from Tuesday an...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC mandates members to report in O...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: APC mandates members to report in O...:  The All Progressives Congress (APC) has mandated all its elected members at state and national levels to converge on Osun from Tuesday an...

Osun Election: APC mandates members to report in Osun

 The All Progressives Congress (APC) has mandated all its elected members at state and national levels to converge on Osun from Tuesday and remain in the state until Saturday's gubernatorial election, as a way of showing the party's unalloyed support for incumbent Gov. Rauf Aregbesola.

 In a statement issued in Osogbo on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the directive also covers all political appointees in states under the control of the APC, especially Special Advisers and Commissioners.

 Also expected in Osogbo are members of the party's national exco and the national elders' caucus.

 APC said it perceives the forthcoming election as a celebration of democracy and a harvest time for the party, whose candidate has worked so hard to implement his mandate and make life more abundant for the people of the state.

 The party also called on its members in Osun to be vigilant ahead of the poll, considering the myriad of desperate tactics being perfected by the PDP to reap where it did not sow.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Osogbo, Aug. 4th, 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: PDP aims to perpetrate massive rigg...

All Progressives Congress (APC): Osun Election: PDP aims to perpetrate massive rigg...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the PDP plans to massively rig the Aug. 9th governorship election in 10 ident...

Osun Election: PDP aims to perpetrate massive rigging in 10 LGs, seeks pliable returning officer

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the PDP plans to massively rig the Aug. 9th governorship election in 10 identified local governments in Osun state, in addition to seeking a pliable person as a returning officer.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly told the security agencies that he wants victory for his party at all costs, an
admonition that will definitely shape their perception of the election as a do-or-die affair.

''Nigerians from all walks of life, desirous of a free and fair election on Saturday, are reaching out to us with useful information on the plan by the desperate PDP to rig the forthcoming election, and we are taking the information very seriously.

''For example, we learnt that the PDP has identified Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda, Iwo, Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and Aiyedade as places where they plan to perpetrate massive rigging. Two different results have allegedly been written ahead of the elections while three Vice Chancellors, one from the North Central and two  from the South West, have been pencilled down to serve as a returning officer. The incentive for the returning officer who can announce the doctored results is 1 billion Naira,'' it said.

The party said when these plans are put together with the massive deployment of security agencies to Osun to harass and intimidate the opposition, the huge amounts of cash being moved into the state via armoured personnel carriers, and the electoral malfeasance specialist-ministers who have landed in Osun,  it is clear that the PDP is working hard to ensure that the forthcoming election is anything but free, fair and credible.

It therefore called on INEC not to allow any unscrupulous person to serve as a returning officer for the election, and to pay a special attention to voting in the identified local governments, where the PDP plans to influence the outcome of the election.

''No one will accept the result of an election in which the returning officer is compromised with filthy lucre. This is why were are calling on INEC to ensure that only a person of integrity can serve in that important post,'' APC said, warning that its agents will not sign any false results of the Aug. 9th election.

The party also called on the international community to pay attention to the issues that could affect the outcome of the election,
instead of waiting until the deed has been done.

''The biggest danger to Saturday's election in Osun is the unbridled desperation of the PDP to win at all costs. This explains why the party's candidate, Mr. Iyiola Omisore, has lied so shamelessly about a purported USAID survey that puts him ahead of Gov. Aregbesola. But for USAID which quickly put a lie to the peddled story, Mr. Omisore would

have continued to use it as a campaign tool,'' it said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Lagos, Aug. 3rd 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC exposes PDP rigging plan in Osun State

All Progressives Congress (APC): APC exposes PDP rigging plan in Osun State: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians to a devilish plan involving an unscrupulous INEC official and PDP stalwarts t...

APC exposes PDP rigging plan in Osun State

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians to a devilish plan involving an unscrupulous INEC official and PDP stalwarts to rig the Aug. 9th gubernatorial election in Osun State.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said under the plan, some INEC IT staff has allegedly handed over the entire electoral register for the state to a Special Assistant to a top PDP national official, with a view to manipulating it to disenfranchise many voters.

''For those who may see this as outlandish, they should recall that an INEC official tampered with the voters register used during the last gubernatorial election in Anambra State to remove the names of many voters,'' it said.

APC said the plan to tamper with the electoral register for Osun, coupled with INEC's delay in issuing Permanent Voters Register to registered voters, especially those who are APC members in the state, highlight the desperation of the PDP to win the forthcoming governorship election at all cost.

''The truth is that the PDP knows it cannot win a free and fair election in Osun state. Everything so far points to the fact that our party will win by a landslide if the election is free, fair, credible and transparent. In fact, a highly-credible opinion poll carried out by the globally-recognized TNS-RMS shows that the APC leads among voters in the state by 73%, compared to a paltry 19% for the PDP.

''Apparently stunned by the reality on the ground, as against the propaganda by the PDP, the party's candidate, Iyiola Omisore, quickly conjured his own opinion poll, purportedly carried out by USAID, showing that he is leading the APC candidate and incumbent Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

''Fortunately, USAID has denied carrying out any opinion poll in Osun State, thus putting a lie to the PDP's claim. There is no better indication of desperation than this,'' the party said.

It called on all the good people of Osun state in general and APC members and supporters in particular to be very vigilant in other to thwart the evil machinations of those who are averse to credible and violence-free elections.

''As we have said repeatedly, we ask for nothing beyond a level playing field for all the candidates in the Aug. 9th election in Osun State. Also, we want all registered voters to be able to exercise their franchise without hindrance, since popular participation is the bedrock of democracy.

''If the voting is done in the best tradition of free, fair and credible elections, whoever wins or loses will have no problem accepting the outcome,'' APC said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Aug. 2nd 2014

All Progressives Congress (APC): FG terrorizing Osun state ahead of Aug. 9th electi...

All Progressives Congress (APC): FG terrorizing Osun state ahead of Aug. 9th electi...: The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm that the PDP-led federal government has started terrorizing and intimidating...

FG terrorizing Osun state ahead of Aug. 9th election, APC cries out

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm that the PDP-led federal government has started terrorizing and intimidating the peaceful people of Osun State, with a view to cowing them ahead of the Aug. 9th governorship election in the state.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered why the FG will send agents of the Department of State Services (DSS), some of them masked and clad in black, to the state to harass innocent citizens in an unprovoked and primitive show of power that can only be described as sheer gangsterism.

''As widely reported, DSS agents, armed to the teeth and riding in over 50 trucks, drove around Osogbo and other parts of Osun State on Wednesday blaring siren and shooting sporadically in the air, thus disrupting the normally peaceful life in the state.

''Residents who were visibly traumatized by the shameful display of state power ran helter-skelter and wondered why their government has sent masked men, or ninjas, to terrorize them. They now understand that the masked thugs who have been following the PDP candidate around on his campaign trail were actually government sanctioned. This is a power show taken too far, even with the well-known impunity tendencies of the Jonathan Administration,'' it said.

APC said information at its disposal shows that 5,000 more DSS men are being dispatched to the state before the election, on the basis of an orchestrated petition alleging that certain APC leaders are planning to foment trouble during the election.

''The real purpose of this fake petition and the consequent deployment of thousands of secret police to Osun is to harass, intimidate and arrest the leaders of the APC in the state, in a repeat of what
transpired in Ekiti.

''Flooding Osun with irresponsible DSS officials to terrorize the residents is another low for a government that is notorious for abuse of power and federal institutions. It is no longer news that the
military, the police and other security agencies are working for the Jonathan Administration, rather than for all of Nigeria. What is new is that the security agencies have now been unleashed on the
citizenry.

''What rankles even more is the constant assurances by President Jonathan that the election will be free and fair. How can we have a credible election in an atmosphere of state-led gangsterism? How can we have a credible election when the FG that is supposed to protect the people and ensure violence-free polls is the same one that purveys violence? Where else in the world do secret police announce themselves by firing to scare away harmless citizens? When did masks become part
of the uniform of the State Security Service agents?'' the party queried.

It reminded the DSS officials that the guns they were using to terrorize the people of Osun were given to them by taxpayers, and that they were indeed trained at the expense of taxpayers, hence it is
totally irresponsible and unacceptable for them to turn their guns on the taxpayers.

APC called on local and international election observers to take note of the pre-election intimidation tactics of the PDP/Jonathan Administration, which are designed solely to scare people away from
the polling booths and provide the necessary atmosphere for electoral malfeasance, which the PDP candidate believes is the only way he can win on Aug. 9th.

The party said it would not accept the same hear-no-evil, see-no-evil disposition of President Jonathan, who on one hand will be assuring the international community of credible polls under his watch while at the same time looking the other way as his cabinet ministers, other appointees and the security agencies under his control break the law with impunity and become agents of terror.

''Mr. President, you are responsible for the actions of the men and women you appoint into your cabinet. You are the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. You bear the ultimate responsibility for the acts of omission or commission of this category of public officials, as well as the security agencies. You must call them to order if indeed they are not acting under your orders,'' it said.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
Lagos, Aug. 1st 2014