Human Righst activist and leader of the Civil Society Coalition in the north, Comrade Shehu Sani, has condemned attempt to frustrate the registration of the All Progressive Congress (APC), alleging that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the brain behind the delay in order to prevent acredible challenge against it in 2015.
Comrade Sani who stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna, also faulted the state pardon granted by President Goodluck Jonathan to former governor of Bayelsa state, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, saying that the decision of the government showed that it was not committed to fight corruption in Nigeria.
The human rights activist also argued that the controversy that has emerged over a political organization with the acronym, APC, showed that there were some politicians who were hell-bent to prevent the registration of the new opposition party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He stressed that, “The attempt by some fraudulent and opportunistic individuals to register a political party with the acronym, APC in order to frustrate the registration of the All Progressives Congress (APC,) is condemnable. Those behind this are nothing but pursuing the goals of the Federal Government. Their aim and objective is to sabotage attempt to register the APC and Nigerians will resist this attempt of mischief with all vehemence.
“Our position remains very clear that the APC is on salvation mission. It is a party of redemption. It is the only alternative for Nigerians to salvage the country for the better. As a country, we have been let down by a succession of corrupt, incompetent and destructive leaders since the return of democracy”, pointing out that, “Nigerians are tired, and fed up with all the corruption, mal-administration and hopelessness which have been the character of the Nigerian state under the PDP.”
“From all indications, the APC will give this country a new focus and a sense of belonging. The ruling party has gone behind to encourage the sabotage the registration of APC. Nigerians should make it clear to INEC that APC must be registered, and having fulfilled all the necessary requirements for its registration, it must be registered”.
Explaining further, he said, “with the present attempt by some individuals to stop APC, it shows that PDP is on a destructive and sabotaging mission, and we shall not allow this to happen if we are actually practising democracy in the true sense of it”.
“They cannot sabotage the will of Nigerians, the hope of Nigerians and the moving train of change for this country. We are sounding it clearly to them that attempts to deny the APC registration based on any subterranean move is a declared breach of our fundamental rights and would be met with popular protests both here in the north and in Nigeria in general.
?“So, we are making our opposition very clear and that Nigerians should ignore the threat to deny APC registration and we are also sending a clear message to the ruling party that enough is enough. Any attempt to undermine the existence and registration of APC, thereby denying Nigerians their fundamental rights to belong to any political party will not be allowed.”
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