Kwankwaso decries INEC election Time-Table, says it favours Presidency Renowned for his vicious attacks on the Presidency, Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso has frowned at the election time-table released by INEC for the 2015 elections, saying that it favours the Presidency and may ignite a bandwagon effect that will be to the To him, by putting presidential election first, INEC is acting the script of an agenda by the Presidency. He urged the National Assembly to reverse the poll order to prevent a “bandwagon effect”. Kwankwaso, who spoke with some reporters in Abuja, predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win the 2015 poll because Nigerians are tired of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said there is so much anger in the land such that PDP cannot make it in 2015. Said the governor: “I think it is one of the things that we know. We know the President has been praying to have his election first. He tried that during the last election in 2011 and the National Assembly refused to allow his election to come first; they put it second. The order in 2011 was National Assembly first, presidential, governorship and State House of Assembly elections. “Now, I don’t know how they influenced the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) to put his election and National Assembly election first and then two weeks after, they do House of Assembly and governorship elections. I think the presidential election should come last. That has been the correct thing; you deal from the bottom; you don’t start from the air. “But if you have structure on the ground, at least you have structure. And the way they are going about it, especially going by the utterances of those that are always visiting their dining tables and sitting rooms, I think there may be some agenda. “If you hear what many people from their side are talking about, it is like they are threatening everybody. And with that, they want to go to the presidential election first, I think that is a big mistake. I think that should be reversed. The National Assembly must look at that. “You don’t just sit down and put their election because that is what they want. What criteria did they use? How and why are you starting with the presidential election? I think that is giving a lot of concerns about the activities of INEC. People are really concerned and I think INEC people should be concerned also. It is very easy here in Abuja to sit down and take decision and whether you like it or not, you have to take it.” Asked if he is suspecting a likely bandwagon effect, if the presidential election comes first, Kwankwaso said: “I think that is what they are angling for; that is what they are planning. “You see, the bandwagon is not the only issue; the other issue is that they want to intimidate people; if you don’t vote for me, I will do this, I will do that. That is what they want to do; we all know the tricks; we have been in the game long before many of them. They want to use intimidation. “I don’t think anybody on that side is really serious and believing that they will win elections under free and fair atmosphere. I think it is about INEC, it is about security agencies, intimidation; it is about money.” Responding to a question, Kwankwaso expressed confidence that the APC would win the 2015 general elections because Nigerians want change. He said: “It is very easy, very simple. You have to understand that in politics, there is what you call fatigue. “When we say fatigue in politics (this game), we mean if a party is elected one, two, three in elections, fatigue is beginning to build. Now, this party is elected four times. You cannot do that in Britain, you cannot do that in America; you cannot do that in any civilised society. Four times and you are still looking for fifth time and yourself third term. You cannot win, you cannot. People want change. “That is why the Americans decided to say that after two terms, just go. They say you are good but just go; let us try a bad one. Otherwise, Bill Clinton would have been President today, they still like him. They said ‘Clinton, you did very well, but just go, let us try a bad one and see, we will appreciate you more. That is fatigue. “Even in Britain, the same story. I was in Britain when Margaret Thatcher came; she had first term, second term and third term; they had to sack her. They said, ‘Madam you did well in Falkland, you are Iron Lady, but you are not the only one. Please, go; let us get someone else. The same thing they did to Tony Blair. That is fatigue. It is not like they did something extra-ordinarily wrong, but people within the party felt they were not the only ones. “That fatigue is showing on PDP. Worse is their activities; they are not doing well. That is the issue. They are not Clinton; they are not Obama or even Margaret Thatcher. The insecurity is worsening the situation. So, the insecurity and economic issues are there, Nigerians are unhappy.” The governor insisted that Nigerians are angry and they are seeking a drastic change in 2015.s
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 13:16:22 +0000
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