The Social Democratic Party (SDP) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for creating discontent in the polity by deploying the Presidential jet and other panaphinelia of government to the advantage of its Presidential candidate against others.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the Director General of the Campaign Council Solomon Dalung indicated that the use of government assets to patronize and promote a candidate by the party in government is indeed an abuse of power and an attempt to instigate and trigger discontent among competing candidates.
He explained that if the State assets like aircraft and other panaphinelia of power are deployed to promote the candidate of the APC such assets should also be available to presidential candidates of other parties
“The use of government aircraft for campaign and for conveying the presidential candidate of the APC and his team should be extended to every political party. If the President has decided to conceded his chair to the APC Presidential candidate, he.must also conceded it to the candidate of the SDP, that is only when we can say there is fairness and you will expect the election to be free and fair.
“If there is already a segregation created by APC then certainly every other insinuations including the manipulation of voters register as raised by CUPP and other allegations, the SDP is tempted to believe that the allegations are true because the APC is beginning to manifest itself
“We want to appeal to the APC and the Federal government that presiding over this transition is a constitutional responsibility, it is not a privilege and it is not a right. It is part of the mandate given to APC.
“If President Jonathan did not conduct the election freely and fairly APC couldn’t have won and if President Jonathan did not demonstrate the statesmanship and uncommon maturity among African leaders APC would not have come near to Zuba not to talk of the Presidential Villa.”Therefore narrowing the political space to their advantage by their actions is a bad signal for the future of our democracy and they must be warned.”
He said campaigns have taken off in earnest as political parties have been engaging Nigerians but from the attitude and the body language of the major political parties it is clear that the robust and radical changes contemplated in the Electoral Act which has cured a lot of the Electoral malaise of our democracy is still facing some threats.
“The way and manner incidences of violence have characterized campaigns of the so-called mega political parties gives a signal that violence is likely going to be a tendency in 2023 general election.
“The signs of a very good Friday is seen on Wednesday. If a political party in Government will hold rallies and such rallies are characterized by massive violence then certainly the capacity of that political party and the government to nurture this transition is called to question”
He commended the media for the contribution to the development of democracy
“We can imagine where Nigeria will be without the media. The media is a key component of democracy no wonder it is referred to as the fourth estate of the realm. The media is a critical stakeholder.