Bribery allegations: ACN, others berate Obasanjo, Jega

Posted by admin Action Congress of Nigeria, INEC Politics, Latest Politics, Olusegun Obasanjo (1976-79, 99-07), Party Politics, Presidency Saturday, November 17th, 2012

The Congress for Progressive Change, All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Action Congress of Nigeria took turns to carpet former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, for their allegations against political parties.

While Obasanjo had accused political parties of printing manifestoes for the purpose of electioneering and throwing them away immediately after elections, Jega had accused the parties of budgeting money to bribe security agents and officials of the electoral body.

The duo made the allegations on November 12, in Abuja at the opening of a two-day Roundtable Conference with the theme, “Party Politics in Nigeria and Lobbying, the Lobbyist and the Legislature.”

In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary, CPC, Rotimi Fashakin, said Obasanjo was speaking from experience, adding that Jega was referring to the Peoples Democratic Party.

He said, “Obasanjo had an onerous task to strengthen and deepen our democracy as the president but he blew away the opportunity.

“Jega could not have been talking about the CPC because we do not have the money to challenge them when they snatched 11 states away from us in the 2011 elections. INEC, under him, has performed abysmally.

“With his statement, the question to ask is: How many of his officials have been bribed already? It is a pointer that his officials might have manipulated previous elections and Jega should tell the drastic steps he will take against such corrupt officials.”

The National Publicity Secretary, ANPP, Emma Eneukwu, said Jega knew the party he was referring to.

He said, “Where will the ANPP get the funds to bribe officials? We started with nine states and we are now with three. If it was true that we bribed officials, our fortunes would not have dwindled.

“Obasanjo was talking about himself. He made promises to the country before he became the president but he failed to fulfil them till he left the presidency. That is the behavioural pattern of the PDP – they are not sincere and have failed this country. These are the attitudes of the PDP, no other party.”

In the same vein, the National Publicity Secretary, ACN, Lai Mohammed, said, “That can only apply to his party – the PDP – not the ACN. We are accountable to the people. If he was talking about the PDP, then he was very correct.”

-Punchwp_posts