Buhari alleges plot to rig polls

THE presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday alleged that the April elections would be marred by massive rigging.

The former Head of State disclosed that even in some states, the results of the polls had already been concluded.

Buhari accused President Olusegun Obasanjo of being the chief architect of the plot to massively rig the elections.

But at a different occasion yesterday, Obasanjo said that he was satisfied with the preparations for the forthcoming elections.

Buhari spoke in Abuja while his party was inaugurating three campaign committees.

He said the race towards replacing the existing administration had started in earnest, urging all members of the party to work towards achieving that objective.

For him, working towards changing the existing administration had gone beyond only the ANPP members, as it had become a burden on men and women of goodwill, "who are embarrassed that the correctness of conduct is neither followed nor respected any longer.

"Needless to say, it is the duty of all people to help remove a leadership that is responsible for all our problems, be they political, economic or religious. So far, this government has successfully created problems where they never existed before, and has made worse those already existing everywhere."

Stating why this administration must go, Buhari said whatever happens to democracy in Nigeria would happen to democracy in other parts of Africa and ultimately, in much of the developing world, "so we must never allow this government to disappoint the hundreds of millions who look up to us.

"Already, the damage this government has done and is still doing to every Nigerian and to the image of Nigeria in particular and to the black race in general is incalculable. Therefore, there is no alternative to removing this government."

But he admitted that removing an incumbent administration would not be an easy task, not even in countries where governments are honest and play according to the rules of the game, let alone in Nigeria where "we are faced with an administration that takes delight in telling lies blatantly and is not bothered by law and the rule of law."

According to Buhari, the government has of recent been making desperate attempts at breaking the ranks and leadership of the ANPP, with the hope that this would in turn, translate into some political victory for them. He added that the plans would eventually fail, just like other desperate attempts at self-perpetuation in the past.

Buhari alleged that there were credible reports indicating that in some states voting had already been concluded and finished with. "They have the results neat on paper and they are waiting for polling day to legalise them."

He went further: "There are reports that government may have concluded arrangements with the company transmitting results to tamper with them and that it will resort to the misuse of security forces to intimidate, kill or maim our supporters.

"It goes without saying that the President has made up his mind to rig the elections and by virtue of his status as 'a permanent leader' of PDP, leader of its Board of Trustees and 'father of Nigeria,' he hopes to control the resulting government, but hopefully, this is not something modern day Nigeria will tolerate.

"We want this government to note that we are aware of their move in connection with the plan to rig and we are watching them and we know their methods. And we will not sit down and watch idly by."

The occasion, which was attended by the former ANPP presidential candidate in 1999, Chief Olu Falae and the Second Republic Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa, drew a large crowd of supporters of the party.

Falae, a former finance minister and currently the National Chairman of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), said his party decided to adopt Buhari because of the belief that the country needed a leader that would be honest, strong and credible to clear the mess created by the existing administration in the past eight years.

Recalling the incident surrounding the 1999 elections, Falae remarked that despite his claims that the PDP massively rigged elections, Nigerians never believed him. He added that the 2003 experience actually confirmed his position and warned that unless there was a strong alliance based on principle, the 2003 experience might repeat itself.

The three campaign committees borne yesterday are the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), National Campaign Committee (NCC) and National Finance Committee (NFC).

The Presidential Campaign Council under the Chairmanship of Buhari's running mate and National Chairman of the party, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, will be responsible for co-ordinating and controlling all aspects of the campaign efforts and in consultation with all party organs and relevant committees.

Its efforts will be geared towards creating harmonious working relationships and maintaining discipline within the ranks of all those involved in the campaign.

The National Campaign Committee is the highest organ, directly responsible for co-ordinating and driving the campaign train and the work of all states and zonal campaign committees.

It is also responsible for initiating the formulation and execution of campaign strategy and organising the campaign tours. It is under the chairmanship of Governor Sani Ahmed of Zamfara State.

The Finance Committee, on the other hand, is to raise, collect and keep custody of all funds. It shall also keep records of funds received as well as all the expenditures.

Obasanjo told an ECOWAS Fact-Finding Mission to the April 2007 Nigerian Elections at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that "as far as the preparations for the elections are concerned, so far so good. My party, the PDP is campaigning seriously all over the country."

He also spoke about the ongoing reforms, noting that "the reforms are already yielding positive results, and a successful transition from one civilian administration to another will solidify the reforms."

Responding to commendation from the leader of the mission about his efforts to bring peace to the sub-region, Obasanjo said: "If any of our countries in West Africa is unsettled, then all West Africa is unsettled and we can't develop."

During the meeting, the President briefed the mission about the general situation in the country and thanked ECOWAS for the solidarity and concern for a successful transition in Nigeria.

Earlier, Dr. Sir Dawda Jawara, former President of the Gambia and leader of the mission, told the President that ECOWAS was deeply grateful to him for his "unparalleled role" in the search for peace in Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Darfur, and said the body was behind the efforts for successful elections.

He said the mission had held consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Assembly, the media, civil society and some political parties, and would visit Kano, Lagos, Enugu and Port Harcourt.

Members of the delegation include General Seth Obeng, former Chief of Defence Staff, Ghana Armed Forces and member, ECOWAS Council of Elders; Mrs. Elizabeth Alpha-Lavalie, Deputy Speaker, Parliament of Sierra Leone and member, ECOWAS Council of Elders; Dr. Kojo Afari Gyan, Chairman, Ghana Electoral Commission; and Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Adviser.

It seems that all the politicians that are not in PDP are already nursing such fears even when they do not have credible reasons to backup the claims.

Luckily for us, it is not perculiar to Nigeria and many politicians claim rigging when they lose out in elections.

Inec machines were found in Adedibus house thats enough evidence being that he is one of Obasanjo's(PDP) strong man in the western region

Yeah, that's correct but does not still mean OBJ wants to rig the elections as each state can effectively rig the elections within that state without the support of the FG.

The PDP already manipulated the results of the Census to enable them rig the elections.

Orikinla:

The PDP already manipulated the results of the Census to enable them rig the elections.

How

Does the census results reflect the number of people in PDP and other parties??

Nigeria's opposition are proving to be very bad loosers, they should spend more time telling Nigerians their alternative programmes than being paranoid or engaging in speculations.

If he Buhari truly believes Obasanjo will rig the elections in PDP's favor,
then he must stop campaigning today and throw in the towel. What is
the use of contesting if he already knew what the outcome will be and
that it won't favor him?

By bowing out now he is most likely to save the lives of a few Nigeria who
are sure bound to perish in the presidential clash - I mean election.

This fear is very reasonable and pretty much real.

We should all remember that many of these current top Nigerian politicians at one time used to be part of PDP; hence they are very familiar with PDP's election strategy (or should I say PDP's RIGGING STRATEGY?) and they do not what to be the victims this time around.

This also reminds me of an old adage that says "the fear that you are very familiar with, is the one that kills you"

Therefore I could understand the fear of these folks; believe me, it is factual.

If it will take rigging to neutralize Buhari and send him back to well-deserved obscurity, then rigging is a mighty fine idea indeed, though many would have preferred to see Buhari crushed and reduced to a greasy road stain by an overloaded garbage truck with bad brakes.

@Jakumo:

What's up with the hatred?

Give me 3 reasons why you hate Buhari so much?

I BUHARI was a figure head head of state.

2. He was involved in a military coup and now he is trying to preach demonstration of crazy

3. He publicly state Nigerian should be a Muslim state.

BIGGY you and I know IBB has a better chance of ever ruling Nigeria than BUHARI. he is just a cover he will never get to

ASO ROCK no matter how much he tries. OBJ knows if BUHARI get to ASO ROCK, he will probe his administration to the

fullest and go after people like IBB. this dynamic duo will never let BUHARI do that.

Big B I would be glad to oblige with a few examples of why Buhari is his own worst enemy.

1. The Buhari/ Idiagbon regime went further than any dictatorship before or since in passing repressive retroactive decrees and jailing the outspoken without any pretense of trial.  Many innocent people died in appalling jail-cell conditions after being incarcerated by the whim of Buhari, and time has not mellowed him one bit.

2. A few months ago, Buhari publicly proclaimed support for the idea of imposing Islamic fundamentalist Sharia Law on Nigeria.   Remember that we are talking about a set of laws that prescribe, among other barbarities,  death by stoning for any woman accused of adultery.  With those favorable comments for the idea of turning Nigeria into an Islamic theocracy, Buhari confirms his [b]UN[/b]suitability to run for president of Nigeria, which is a SECULAR democracy by constitutional definition, but Buhari also highlights his contempt for womens's rights, which do not exist under the Sharia Law he calls for.

3. Adolf Buhari was a barely literate soldier when he overthrew a democratically elected government to install his dictatorship, and listening to his cattle-herdsman spoken English now, he never bothered take a single remedial literacy class in all those intervening years.  Nigeria would become the butt of jokes if such an inarticulate buffoon ever gets to pose on the world stage as the most suitable president a country of 100 million people can come up with.

Buhari does not have any reason (good or bad) to talk about this election not to talk of contesting.