The South-East chapter of the All Progressives Congress [APC] has warned its Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] counterpart against the adoption of President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 presidential election.
It noted that the president had repeatedly failed the people of the zone and that it would be fatal for the entire zone to endorse him.
The party said it wondered why the zonal chapter of the PDP would bemoan the marginalisation of the zone in the recent promotion in the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and at the same time endorse Mr. Jonathan for the coming election.
In a well-attended meeting at Umuahia, the Abia State capital at the weekend, the PDP governors, ministers, senators, members of the National Assembly and State Assemblies and other political leaders from the South-East zone rose from a crucial meeting bemoaning the marginalization of Ndigbo in the recent Police promotions.
They also endorsed Mr. Jonathan for another term in office.
The APC said in a statement by its spokesperson, Osita Okechukwu, that although it would not support the marginalization of the South-East or any zone, it could not reconcile the crass parody or the hopelessness exhibited by the zonal chapter of the PDP in Umuahia.
It said the PDP was not only in power at the federal level, but Mr. Jonathan was the adopted son of the zone.
“South-East APC for the umpteenth time had warned on the danger of putting all our eggs in one basket and the futility of adopting a clueless, incapable and less than transparent president once again and expecting different result,” the statement said.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we have nothing personal against our dear president, but our candid assessment is that he is clueless, incapable and less than transparent to fix a complex Nigeria.
“Otherwise, neither the Police Service Commission and the Police Council nor the Inspector General of the Police Force can promote top officers to the rank of DIG and AIG without the perusal of the Commander-in-Chief.”
The APC said the zonal PDP chapter had not disclosed the reason the president unceremonious sack of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Azubike Ihejirika, who was the first Igbo to occupy that position since 1966.
On the new allocation of new Polling Units by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the zonal APC chapter challenged the South-East PDP to forthwith unravel what transpired.
It said it was the PDP that nominated both the national and Resident Electoral Commissioners, REC, who represent the zone while another Igbo son, Andy Uba, chairs the Senate Committee on INEC.
The APC said, “Or is it not appropriate to also remind the South-East PDP that their adopted son, President Jonathan rejected the core recommendation of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, which proffered that it is better to openly and democratically appoint INEC Commissioners through public advertisement to avoid corrupt officials?
“We must be guided by an ancient maxim that we cannot act like the chicken that bends its neck to pot cooking it instead of the knife that killed it.
“Therefore, to avoid further marginalization, why re-elect a president who condone inequality or is careless over crucial matters of national importance where justice and fairness are sine qua non for equity?”
