Opposition parties, others plan protest over govt's policies
From Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna) and Joe Adiorho (Lagos)
THE opposition parties, civil society groups and prominent Nigerians may embark on a mass protest against the Federal Government's failure to redress the ailing national economy, and any attempt to jettison the Justice Uwais-led electoral reforms panel report, former Governor of Kaduna State and the Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa has said.
Also at the weekend, a group of Nigerians under the aegis of the Centre for Political Documentation (CPD) called on the nation to hold the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accountable for the gross electoral irregularities that characterized the nation's 2007 elections and the accompanying problems.
Musa who spoke in an interview in Kaduna at the weekend said the national economy had continued to agitate Nigerians and the government should be committed to ensuring credible electoral reform.
Stressing that "we are looking for a more peaceful way of tackling the problems in the interest of the nation", the CNPP chairman pointed out that opposition parties, civil society groups and other progressive Nigerians were set to provide a platform for a mass protest which would compel the government to live up to its responsibilities in addressing national issues.
Besides, he said that since the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership recently told the nation that the party was ready to rule the country for more than 60 years, the opposition parties felt that this proclamation should not be at the expense of poor economic policies and bad electoral reform.
Musa said: "Yes, we met in Lagos, and not only that, it was a meeting of political parties, civil society organisations, and patriotic individuals looking for the most peaceful way of defeating PDP in the 2011 elections."
"Meanwhile, we are considering the most peaceful way of tackling the problems in the interest of the nation. And the most peaceful way is to have a platform capable of defeating the PDP in the 2011 elections. We have considered the possibility that the PDP would continue to misuse its incumbency to ensure what they said, that they would be in government for the next 60 or 100 years, which we interpret to mean for ever. They may embark on that. And one clear way they can embark on that is to force the electoral process they want and jettison completely the report of the Electoral Reform Committee as limited as it is."
The CNPP leader continued: "If they do that, in other words, if they try to impose undemocratic and fascist electoral reform, then the opposition would have no alternative but to embark on mass protest throughout the country and mobilise the Nigerian people. The opposition is committed to a free, fair and transparent election in 2011, which can lead to a legitimate government, stability and development of Nigeria."
Musa who also spoke on the re-run election in Ekiti State noted that "this is not the first time the PDP Government will mobilize soldiers in a state to harass people while preparing for election. All I will say is for all the opposition parties to rally round the candidate who is contesting against the PDP."
"We have all seen how elections have been organised in this country in the past, but we should all say 'enough is enough' to rigging and as Nigerians, vote for the right candidate and defend our votes."
The CPD came out with a compilation chronicling detailed political activities and irregularities that transpired during the gubernatorial election in Osun State, blaming INEC for the shortcomings.
Presenting a publication entitled: "A Research on the Electoral Process in Nigeria: A Case Study of Osun State Gubernatorial Election- The Excluded Evidence" to the press in Lagos, the centre's Chief Project Officer, Femi Omotoso, restated that INEC was the problem of the nation's democracy.
