APC Warns Of Grave Consequences Over Impunity In Rivers

The APC held the 7th regular meeting of the Interim National
Executive Committee of the party today, under the chairmanship of
Chief Bisi Akande. Notable party leaders including Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Dr. Ogbonayya Onu, and Senator Ali
Modu Sheriff graced the meeting.
The meeting happily welcomed for the first time the Governors of
Kano and Rivers States, representatives of the Governors of Adamawa,
Sokoto, Kwara and Alhaji Kawu Baraje to the Interim NEC of the APC.
Sadly, in the course of the meeting, the APC learnt that another
deadly attack was perpetrated against the Rivers Government House
where the office of the Deputy Governor was partly destroyed. This and
other acts of impunity clearly show the PDP, its agents and
governments to be lawless. The APC warns that these acts
demonstrate clearly that this government is anti-people, dictatorial
and would go to any length to plunge the country into chaos.
At the conclusion of the meeting:
1. The APC has noted with concern the threats of the PDP to procure
a pliant judge to declare the seats of the G-5 governors vacant in
spite of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Atiku in 2007. It is
of note that several times governors, including their legislatures from
other parties have decamped from the ANPP and PPA to the PDP
even when their former parties were not factionalized without any
consequence. The APC will not only resist this lawfully but hereby
warns the PDP to desist from words and deeds of impunity that
threaten our stability and democracy. We also hope that the judiciary
will not be a party to the deliberate promotion of lawlessness and
impunity in our country. APC will give its governors and lawmakers
the necessary support in defence of their rights and freedoms of
association.
2. The APC has earlier alerted the nation of the strategy of the
Jonathan administration to depopulate areas where our party has
strong followings and suppress voter turnout in the Northern and
South-West states through deliberate exacerbation of insecurity. We
suspect that wittingly or unwittingly the recent declaration of INEC
that elections are not likely to take place in states under state of
emergency is in furtherance of this agenda.
3. The APC hereby warns that it will not accept the deliberate
disenfranchisement of large swathes of our citizenry. APC will fight to
defend the right of every eligible Nigerian voter to vote. We also want
to alert the Federal Government that any attempt to extend the state
of emergency without any justification will be resisted by every lawful
and constitutional means.
4. The APC has always believed that it is a combination of carrot and
stick that will resolve insurgencies that parts of our nation face.
President Jonathan should therefore live up to his responsibilities by
ensuring that every part of Nigeria is safe enough for elections, as our
citizens expect nothing less.
5. The APC has alerted the nation of the gross abuse of the ecological
funds and other illegal funds through the selective and unjust
disbursement of funds to only Non-APC states. We also note the
revelation of the diversion of revenues that ought to have been paid
into the Federation Account running into trillions of Naira. Other
budgeted amounts for parastatals, pensions, and the fuel subsidy that
ought to have been properly accounted for are being similarly
plundered with impunity. We call on the National Assembly to
commence the immediate investigation of these constitutional
violations and act in consonance with Nigeria’s constitution. This has
become necessary to save our nation from falling off a fiscal cliff
caused by excessive theft and corruption.
6. After the serial failures on the part of INEC to conduct bye-election
and elections in Imo, Delta, Jigawa and Anambra States, the APC has
expressed concern about the ability of the electoral umpire to conduct
the forthcoming elections in 2014 and 2015. In Abia, the unprovoked
harassment and intimidation of APC members continues unabated.
Nevertheless, we support that INEC be adequately funded provided
that biometric registration and accreditation be made conditions
precedent for the required financial support. Democracy is not
sustainable without free, fair and credible elections, and the APC
warns that those that threaten this foundation are trying to destroy
an edifice that they never built, but of which they are the biggest
beneficiaries.
7. The APC is concerned with the situation in Rivers State. This
display of impunity and the Faustian bargain between the police
commissioner and a handful of rebel legislators has gone on for a full
year. It must stop. Now is the time for all men and women of goodwill
to speak up against the assault on an elected government and
violations of the right of Rivers citizens. The international community
is hereby put on notice that Nigeria’s democratic journey unravels
and Rivers State might be the lightening torch for Nigeria’s descent
into impunity. We wish to re-state once again that whatever touches
one APC state affects the entire party. Our party will therefore not
stand idly by and watch democracy desecrated in Rivers State or
elsewhere in the country for that matter.

Being an APC Draft Communique on 17th December 2013
Signed: Chief Bisi Akande
Interim National Chairman