The Sunday Punch reports that the Peoples Democratic Party has challenged the APC to explain its link with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, said it was more than curious that the APC had allegedly continued to fabricate stories and show undue interest in Jega.
He said, “Undoubtedly, the frenzy, hysteria and spate with which the APC has been inventing stories regarding Prof. Jega’s stay in office even when nothing suggests that such was on the table, raise a lot of issues.
“We ask, is there any underlining issue or arrangement between the APC and Prof. Jega which the opposition is hell-bent on protecting and informing its anxiety and apprehension towards his stay in office?
“While it is noted that the APC is a party of one week, one lie, we in the PDP look beneath the surface to the deeper issues propelling the lies.
“We therefore challenge the APC to come clean and tell Nigerians the real reason behind their false alarms and uncontrolled nervousness regarding Prof. Jega ahead of the 2015 general elections.
“Finally, we wish to remind the leadership of INEC that Nigerians are monitoring its activities and series of unfolding political events ahead of the elections, and will not accept anything less than the conduct of credible, free and fair general elections come March 28 and April 11, 2015.”
Reacting to these, the APC said President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP are not interested in the 2015 elections.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said this in response to an e-mail sent to him by Sunday Punch, on Saturday.
Mohammed, who is in London on an official assignment said, “The plain truth is President Jonathan and the PDP don’t want elections at all.
“If Jega is removed, his successor will simply claim that as a new helmsman, he should be given more time to prepare for the elections. Therefore we don’t want Jega removed because we don’t want elections postponed again. There is no other ulterior motive.
“Is it not strange that President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP who appointed Prof. Jega and praised his handling of all elections since he came on board as transparent is now suddenly afraid of him and want him out by all means.” (Sunday Punch).