The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain why it is so keen on having the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, stay in office to conduct the shifted general elections.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the APC is showing signs of “feverish fixation and huge interest in his (Jega’s) stay in office” which it said, calls for concern.

Metuh said it is more than curious that the APC “has continued to fabricate stories and show undue interest on Prof. Jega,” adding that it raises a lot of questions for the opposition and the INEC Chairman.

“Undoubtedly, the frenzy, hysteria and spate with which the APC has been inventing stories regarding Prof. Jega’s stay in office even when nothing suggests that such was on the table, raise a lot of issues.

“We ask, is there any underlining issue or arrangement between APC and Prof. Jega which the opposition is hell-bent to protect, informing its anxiety and apprehension towards his stay in office?

“While it is noted that the APC is a party of one week, one lie, we in the PDP look beneath the surfaces to the deeper issues propelling the lies.

“We therefore challenge the APC to come out clean and tell Nigerians the real reason behind their false alarms and uncontrolled nervousness regarding Prof. Jega ahead of the 2015 general elections.

“Finally, we wish to remind the leadership of INEC that Nigerians are monitoring its activities and series of unfolding political events ahead of the elections, and will not accept anything less than the conduct of credible, free and fair general elections come March 28 and April 11, 2015”, the party said.

However, the APC in a statement by Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, said the allegation raised by PDP were all lies.

He said that the PDP had become “so delusional that it now fabricates outright lies to blackmail and denigrate the APC and its presidential candidate, General Muhammdu Buhari and Vice Presidential candidate, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to divert attention from the mess it has created in every facet of the lives of Nigerians”.

According to him, there are too many signs of desperation by the PDP to hold on to power, even when the elections are yet to be conducted.

Shehu reminded the PDP how the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), an appointee of the President, allegedly used his office to do a counter-affidavit and supporting written address in giving tacit approval to a nocturnal group’s desire at truncating the use of card readers in assuring on the transparency of the general election.

He said: “An online news blog, Sahara reporters, made copious public display of the two documents; the AGF, in doing a volte face, denied giving authorisation to the staff members of his Office in that ignoble service to the Nigerian state!

“A patriotic Nigerian soldier, Captain Sagir Koli, had done a painstaking and elaborate audio recording of the meeting in which the Presidential order for the rigging of the June 22, 2014 Ekiti governorship election in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was handed down

•Adapted from a Daily Independent report.

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