February polls should not hold—Balarabe Musa
Veteran politician and second republic governor of the old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, has joined the call for the postponement of this month’s election.
Musa, who had once predicted that the lectionaries might not hold, fears that going on with the elections might result in dire consequences.
The old man sees of danger signs ahead of the February polls and is canvassing for a unity government to avert that danger.
Musa who spoke in an interview with The Vanguard said,
“It is quite obvious that with the manner the ruling party and the main opposition are going about it, the elections will not be peaceful, free and fair, if they hold come February unless we want to repeat the same mistakes and give room for massive rigging. Many people have don’t have the permanent voter cards. So what kind of elections are we running with most people not participating?”
He also believes that the recent attacks on the convoy of the president by hired youths in the north underscores the need for the postponemnt of the election.
For him, it is an ample indication that the peace accord sign by the president candidates ahead of the elections will not hold water.
According to the elderly politician, “The clashes during campaigns by supporters show that such peace agreement will not hold. For example, PDP supporters from the South met and declared that if Jonathan does not return as President via the February polls, there will be problem for Nigeria. And some of the supporters of the APC also said that if Buhari does not emerge, there will be problem. In this situation, the agreement is fruitless and the chances of free, fair and credible elections are limited.
“The attack on President Jonathan’s convoy during his campaign in the North is another proof that there will be violence despite the peace agreement.
“As it is now, members of the PDP have accused supporters of the APC of disrupting PDP campaigns in the North while in the South, PDP supporters are said to be disrupting APC campaigns.
“In other words, because of President Jonathan and Gen. Buhari, Nigerians are now divided so much so that PDP will not campaign in the North peacefully and the APC will not campaign in the South without fear. This is another justification for the postponement of the elections until peace is established in Nigeria. Under this situation, it is absolutely impossible to have free, fair and credible elections. It is an avoidable risk and should not be taken. The Constitution gives room for the postponement of the elections and I think this should be followed.”
In the stead of the the elections, he wants the PDP and the APC and other political parties to answer the call for national unity government that will involve all political parties.
“Interim government has constitutional implication, but a government of national unity is patriotic and has no constitutional implications. Once they agree, it is easier to constitute a unity government before or after the elections. I strongly recommend this for the sake of our peaceful coexistence as a nation. If it is before the elections, it should be led by the ruling PDP,” he said.
Musa went ahead to suggest the structure of the new unity government which he sees as the panacea to the political quagmire that the country may be headed to.
“They should control about 50% of the government, 25% should go to APC being the major opposition and 25% should go to other political parties. If it is after the elections, the winning party should control 50% of the relevant positions and the major opposition occupies 25% while other political parties control 25% according to their relevance in the political structure in our country,” he said.
“This will bring about hope and peace because all political parties are fully represented in governance.”
Musa advised the APC to accept the proposition as they have no chance of winning the elections in the current scenario because the PDD would simply rig the election and declare its candidate winner.
He said, “Unity government is better than the risk the APC is taking. If the situation continues, PDP will rig the election and declare its candidate the winner. This is what they have always done, and they will continue with it and there is nothing anybody can do. If unity government can be embraced by political parties, Nigerians will rally round it and there will be peaceful coexistence among all the regions.”
