Borno APC Calls For Arrest of 23 Political Parties’ Leaders…Read Why

The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Borno State has called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute 23 political parties for calling for Interim Government in the state despite recent clarification by President Goodluck Jonathan that interim government is treasonable offence punishable under Nigerian laws.

The state Chairman of the APC, Ali Bukar Dalori, said in a statement issued on Thursday that the 23 parties were acting the script of a former governor of the state who he said is desperate to takeover power at all cost even if it means, pushing the state into extinction.

“We strongly believe that the call by the 23 parties to shift elections in state to September and for interim government to be put in place by May 29 is in furtherance of a blind desire to implement an agenda of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that is aligned to former governor of the state who is hell bent on ensuring elections do not hold in state due to his fear of massive defeat for his anointed candidates given the evident popularity of the APC in the state.

“The political parties, which only exist on newspapers, are mere tools in the hands of the former governor. However, we are also excited by their calls for postponement because in politics, calls for postponement of election is conceding defeat because only those who see defeat coming their way, try to avoid elections.

“For the purpose of educating these parties, they need to know that there is no portion of the Nigerian constitution that gives room for a democratically elected government whether at the state or federal level to be toppled through a civilian coup which they are advocating for. In fact, according President Jonathan last week, a call for Interim Government is treasonable and a coup against the Nigerian constitution. We therefore call on security agencies to act accordingly and effect the president’s clarification. The Nigerian Constitution has since addressed many of these issues,” the statement noted.

  Dalori added that: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has no powers to hold elections later than 30 days before the expiration of tenure of the elected public office holders. In the event that election is not to be held for reasons spelt out by the constitution, it is the tenure of those elected public holders who are serving, that will be extended by an initial period of six months through a constitutional procedure it is there for all to read.

“The constitution does not entertain coup be it military of civil, as being advocated by those who call themselves democrat practising constitutional democracy with political parties established through provisions of the constitution. Security agencies need to urgently arrest those persons who represented the 23 political parties at that press conference in Maiduguri, today (yesterday) and they should be tried for treason in line with the recent declaration of President Jonathan who is by his position, the chief defender of the constitution.”

Source: THISDAYLIVE