According to a number of pro-All Progressives Congress Facebook
pages, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party have spent N185
billion to bribe voters, religious leaders and electoral officers in
hopes of rigging the elections.
Last weekend, Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commision, has announced the INEC’s decision to
postpone the 2015 elections to March and April. Since then, Nigerians,
already agitated from “the election fever”, have been making assumptions
as to who or what might be behind the date shift, and if the reasons
listed by the INEC are genuine – however, in yesterday’s media chat,
President Jonathan maintained he does not interfere in the Commission’s
affairs.
After the elections postponement, Nigeria’s two opposing poltical
giants and their respective flag-bearers, the APC and Muhammadu Buhari,
and the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan, have gotten a second wind
for exchanging bitter remarks and mutual accusations.
Yesterday, a couple of APC-supporting Facebook pages have issued
“breaking news” from the PDP camp. APC FAN CLUB – Worldwide
and APCGovernment suggest that
“the Presidency has commissioned a team of 37 members and mobilized them with N5 billion each to deliver him [President Jonathan]
come March 28, 2015″.
It is worth noting that in the media chat, President Jonathan said “N21 billion” of his campaign funds are merely rumours
The groups credit a source “very close” to the Presidency for providing them with the information.
The APC’s sources indicate that a 37-person committee has been set up to
“deliver president Jonathan in [the]
next month’s election considering the imminent defeat staring at him in the event that an election is held today”.
The said committee is allegedly comprised of each state’s representatives who also are
“notable political figures within the PDP and President Jonathan’s government”. The “advisers” of the Presidency are fearing for President Jonathan’s
“dwindling popularity and acceptability among the Nigerian electorate” and
“with the international community,” the APC-supporting Facebook pages report.
Also mentioned were “red flags” such as various polls conducted on social media
“where President Jonathan woefully lost to the opposition candidate [Buhari],
“ as opposed to similar exercises conducted in 2011.
According to the APC sources, the Presidency
“considered shifting the polls again but was advised against doing so” for the fear of resistance from Nigerians and the international community. Furthermore,
“an interim government was also considered,” but the proposition
“did
not go through because many at the meeting wondered how it will be
possible when the opposition constitutes over 50% of the National
Assembly.”
Eventually, the 37-person committee came to the conclusion that
“the
only viable option is to use money to buy voters, lobby religious
rulers and influence some resident electoral officers to rig the
election” in the PDP’s favour. Each member was presented with
“N 5 billion mobilization fee,” N185 billion in total. The APC’s source added that more people could be incorporated into the committee should the need arise.
The committee is expected to report to the Preseidency on their progress in the next four weeks.
