The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the peace accord signed by all the presidential candidates on Wednesday
January 14, ahead of the February elections would only work if the
Presidency ensures the neutrality of the security agencies during the
polls.
Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the party, disclosed this at a conference organized by the Savannah Centre and CSIS Partnership on polls, in Abuja on Thursday January 16.
The theme of the two-day conference is “Nigeria 2015 Elections and Beyond, Stakeholders Conference on the Roles of State and Non-State Actors in Mitigating Violence in Elections.
”
Mohammed, who was a speaker at the forum alongside officials of other political parties, said though the peace pact signed by presidential candidates of the parties, including President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari of the PDP and APC, respectively was desirable, it would only be effective if the operatives of the security agencies that would be deployed during the election were neutral.
He said the opposition party was already losing confidence in one of the agencies.
“It will not be successful if there is no sincerity of purpose. I think in this particular respect, the Presidency has more to do if it wants the election to be violent-free It has to ensure the neutrality of all the security agencies involved in the election,” he said.
“As long as there is a level-playing field and the umpires are really neutral then that removes areas of conflict.”
Mr. Mohammed added, “The credibility of the security agencies is at its lowest ebb. I don’t know how many of you watch the television two days ago when the spokesperson of Department of State Security went to demonize a particular party, accusing that party of being in the process hacking into INEC data base. What they sought to achieve by that I don’t know.
“You need to see the kind of humiliation they went through in the hands of DSS. They went through physical torture and mental torture. These young people arrested were called presidential enemies. They were called saboteurs; they were asked how can you working with a party that wants to destabilize Nigeria? If this is the mindset of a particular security agencies there is no way that party will have confidence in that agency.”
The spokesperson of the APC also noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have a big responsibility to ensure the success of the 2015 general elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party also reacted to the recent peace pact that was signed by all the presidential candidates. The party commended its presidential candidate, President Jonathan, and others for signing a pact on non-violence ahead of the general election, noting that the development was in line with the irrevocable commitment of the ruling party to the peace and progress of the country at all times.
Lai Mohammed, the spokesperson of the party, disclosed this at a conference organized by the Savannah Centre and CSIS Partnership on polls, in Abuja on Thursday January 16.
The theme of the two-day conference is “Nigeria 2015 Elections and Beyond, Stakeholders Conference on the Roles of State and Non-State Actors in Mitigating Violence in Elections.
”
Mohammed, who was a speaker at the forum alongside officials of other political parties, said though the peace pact signed by presidential candidates of the parties, including President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari of the PDP and APC, respectively was desirable, it would only be effective if the operatives of the security agencies that would be deployed during the election were neutral.
He said the opposition party was already losing confidence in one of the agencies.
“It will not be successful if there is no sincerity of purpose. I think in this particular respect, the Presidency has more to do if it wants the election to be violent-free It has to ensure the neutrality of all the security agencies involved in the election,” he said.
“As long as there is a level-playing field and the umpires are really neutral then that removes areas of conflict.”
Mr. Mohammed added, “The credibility of the security agencies is at its lowest ebb. I don’t know how many of you watch the television two days ago when the spokesperson of Department of State Security went to demonize a particular party, accusing that party of being in the process hacking into INEC data base. What they sought to achieve by that I don’t know.
“You need to see the kind of humiliation they went through in the hands of DSS. They went through physical torture and mental torture. These young people arrested were called presidential enemies. They were called saboteurs; they were asked how can you working with a party that wants to destabilize Nigeria? If this is the mindset of a particular security agencies there is no way that party will have confidence in that agency.”
The spokesperson of the APC also noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, have a big responsibility to ensure the success of the 2015 general elections.
The Peoples Democratic Party also reacted to the recent peace pact that was signed by all the presidential candidates. The party commended its presidential candidate, President Jonathan, and others for signing a pact on non-violence ahead of the general election, noting that the development was in line with the irrevocable commitment of the ruling party to the peace and progress of the country at all times.
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