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| Osinbajo |
By Evelyn Okakwu
APC's Deputy presidential candidate Yemi Osinbajo has stated
that the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is the only body that
has the constitutional mandate on how elections should be run in the country.
Speaking at a program organised by the National President of
the Catholic laity council of Nigeria, Chizoba Nnagbo with the theme:
"Promoting a violent free election in Nigeria."
Osinbajo stated that: "The law is very clear, INEC
determines how elections are conducted. They have shown it even before the
Senate that the card reader is an efficient means of ensuring the authenticity
of the PVC. So, as far as we are concerned it is the right thing to do. We only
urge that INEC should ensure that the card readers are in good working
order", Osinbajo said.
He added that
his party is not threatened by the plot to
back out, as put forward by some parties agitation that the card reader should
not be used. "We (APC) are not bordered by the threat to pull out of
election by any party, it is a matter of choice to either participate or
not."
Osinbajo said it was wrong for people to suggest that the
card reader would lead to the development of an electronic voting system. It is
definitely wrong, because e-voting was just an electronic means of casting your
vote, but what a card reader does is that it authenticates your card to find
out if it is a genuine card or not".
He said the APC was ready to accept the outcome of a free
and fair election.
"We have confidence in God, we are ready to accept
outcome of the election that are free and fair, and we expect that this
election must be free and fair that is why we are taking all these troubles we
are taking; educating our people.
Don't forget that under the same INEC who is now being
vilified by PDP, APC lost election in Ekiti, Anambra
In 2011, it was the same gentleman (Jega) that conducted
election, we went to court contested it, but all of a sudden the same PDP said
is afraid. If the election is not free and fair, we know the right and
constitutional thing to do."
Speaking earlier at the event Nnagbu said: "An
electoral process should ordinarily be seen in the light of the opportunity it
offers us as free citizens to freely and fairly exercise our rights to vote and
be voted for. Unfortunately, this has been turned into a mental battle which
can only produce bad results."
He called on Christian and all present to participate
actively and in fair concern for Nigeria.
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