PDP Makes U-turn, Passes Confidence Vote On Jega

Says Obasanjo’s endorsement of Buhari a rummour
•       Akpabio: No PDP Governor will campaign for APC
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Chuks Okocha in Abuja
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Reprieve continues to come the way of the chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru
Jega as the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, has said that the party has
great confidence in him as the INEC chairman.
This was  a great departure from the series of allegations
made against Jega by the Director of the PDP Presidential
Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani Kayode who Wednesday
accused the INEC chairman of holding secret meetings in
Dubai and other places with the intention of rigging the
election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Addressing a press conference in company of all members of
the PDP National Working Committee, PDP Governors led by
the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Godswill Akpabio,
the governors of Benue, Kogi, Cross River and Bayelsa state,
the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy
Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, among others, Adamu Muazu said
that the party has confidence in the ability of the chairman of
INEC to conduct the general elections.
Muazu also defended the former President, Olusegun
Obasanjo, stating that his endorsement of the APC presidential
candidate, General Buhari is a rumour and that the former
president cannot commit anti-party activities. He restated that
former President Obasanjo remains a committed and loyal
member of the PDP.
According to Muazu, “President Jonathan appointed Prof.
Attahiru Jega and therefore knows him very well before the
appointment. The President has restated his confidence in the
INEC Chairman and therefore we have confidence in him to
conduct a free and fair general election. We have confidence
in him and I don’t act on rumours and therefore we will work
with him as the chairman of INEC.”
According to the PDP chairman, “Although we tend to agree
with INEC on the security reasons given for the postponement
of the elections, we are nevertheless not unmindful of the fact
that the commission on its own part was not fully prepared for
the February 14 election date.
“Taking the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega on his own
words, for the 68.8 million registered voters, the commission
had only printed and delivered 66.3 million Permanent Voter
Cards (PVCs) with 1.3 million yet to be delivered and 1.1
million stolen cards yet to be replaced.
“Also, according to Jega, 45.09 million voters cards were
collected by prospective voters representing 65.8 percent of
the registered voters and 23.71 million PVCs, representing
34.2 percent were yet to be collected as at February 7th,
which is exactly one week to the February 14th earlier
scheduled date. Compare this anomaly with the 2011
elections where not a single eligible voter was
disenfranchised.
“By this account, INEC could not sincerely claim to have been
fully prepared for a desirable credible, free and fair election at
the time when more than 23 million registered voters were
going to be disenfranchised.”