APC Living In Fear Due To Rejection By Anambra People, South-East Zone, Says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended President Goodluck Jonathan’s stand on electoral transparency and credible polls at all levels across the country.

This information is contained in a statement by Mr Olisa Metuh, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja on Thursday.

Metuh said that contrary to claims by the opposition, Jonathan had remained resolute in his commitment to free and fair elections and his policy of one-man, one-vote.

He said the drastic reduction in electoral disputes under the president was a clear testimony of this policy.

The party spokesman urged the opposition to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship when defeated in elections as demonstrated by the PDP on many occasions.

Metuh also maintained that the president had remained open and objective on election issues.

He said it was on record that the president had always congratulated candidates, who won in free and fair elections, irrespective of the parties they belonged.

Metuh berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) for criticising the PDP ahead of the Anambra governorship election scheduled for Nov. 16.

“The APC is now living in morbid fear because the people of Anambra State and the South-East in general, have rejected it.

“This is on account of its tribal stance and hatred for the region as demonstrated in its sectional and anti-people policies”.

He said this included the recent deportation of Anambra indigenes from Lagos which resulted to untold hardship and death of some of the victims.

Metuh described the APC “as a party of propagandists’’, and wondered why the party restricted itself to criticising elections only in states it lost’’.

He listed such states as Ondo and Delta, adding that the party saw nothing wrong in states like Edo, where it won, even when stakeholders in such states raised credibility issues.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 23 candidates from different political parties will be contesting in the Anambra governorship election that is expected to be monitored by both local and international observers.

The INEC National Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, 15 INEC residents Commissioners and six National Electoral Commissioners are also expected to be in the state to monitor the election.

The tenure of Gov. Peter Obi, would lapse in Feb. 2014. (NAN)