ABUJA - Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, ACPN, Monday, threatened to challenge the a pro-Jonathan group, the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria, TAN, in court for canvassing votes for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid ahead of 2015 presidential election.
The party which picked a hole in the current nationwide activities embarked by TAN ahead of 2015 presidential poll accused the organisation of operating with impunity like the dark days of military dictatorship.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja at the end of its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, the Acting National Chairman of ACPN, Alhaji Ganiyu Galadima said TAN has no right under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to do what it was doing.
According to him, “despite the restrictions orders in Section 221 of the Nigerian constitution prohibiting association other than a political party from canvassing for votes for any candidates at any election or contribute to the funds of any political party or to the election expenses of any candidates at all elections.
“Our greatest predicament at the moment is the non-inclusion of a third party campaigner in the Electoral Act. This is happening across the political landscape causing a great dislocation and a fragrant disregard for the electoral process.
“They dominate the electoral circle like a colossus. You will agree with me that Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria, TAN, spends millions of naira daily to campaign for the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Alhaji Galadima asked rhetorically that, “is TAN now a replacement for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, whose platform the president was elected in 2011 general election? Who is behind the Transformation Ambassador of Nigeria? What is the source of the massive funding for its operations?”
“In Nigeria, our problem is not the absence of laws, but the culture of impunity. Are the people behind TAN above the law? This is a challenge for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“We also expect the INEC to act now and should it fails to act, we will go to court to challenge the activities of TAN,” he vowed.
Galadima “implored the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency include in the amendment to the electoral Act a provision to regulate the activities and funding of a third party campaign in Nigeria,” adding, “there cannot be a free and fair election in 2015 in Nigeria if the processes leading to the election are not fair.
The party also condemned the militarization of recent governorship election conducted in Ekiti and Osun states by the Federal government.
The Acting National Chairman noted that, although provision of security is important to safeguard the lives of the electorates and election materials, excessive presence of all manner of security men can intimate and scared the electorate thereby preventing people from exercising their franchise.
“The deployment of over 35, 000 men for a poling unit of less than 2,500 in Osun State governorship election is condemnable.
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