The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Jonathan administration of plotting to hinder a smooth handover of power on May 29th.
In a veiled reaction to Jonathan’s charge that APC is running a parallel government, the party said it is becoming apparent that the administration will not fully cooperate with the incoming government despite its public posturing in that regard.
APC described as illogical and strange the claim by the Jonathan administration that the President-elect is trying to set up a parallel
government simply because he has set up his own transition committee and given it terms of reference.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also described as an act of
hostility and a patently misplaced aggression the “unnecessary vituperation” against the incoming Buhari administration by the
Jonathan government, ostensibly because of the terms of reference of the Buhari transition committee but in reality part of an orchestrated
plot to sabotage the transition.
It rejected the continued “blackmail” by the Jonathan administration as a result of President Jonathan’s concession of defeat, wondering
if the concession, gracious as it was, has now become a shield for all wrongdoings.
”We are sick and tired of being blackmailed by the Jonathanians. Buhari won the 28 March Presidential Elections fair and square, having
satisfied both constitutional and other statutory requirements. We have no apology for our victory, and the concession of defeat – while
it may have increased the political stock of President Jonathan – has by no means diminished the historic and emphatic victory of Buhari and APC,” it said.
Justifying its statement that the Jonathan Administration is plotting to hinder a smooth transition of power, the party said while the
outgoing government had earlier issued a memo to all ministries, departments and agencies to make sure their handover notes are ready
by April 20th, the same government has now reversed itself and said the handover notes will not be ready until May 14th.
”With the new date, the Buhari Transition Committee will have little or no time to take a thorough look at the handover notes or seek
clarification on knotty issues, effectively handing it (Buhari Transition Committee) a fait accompli as far as the handover notes are
concerned. This does not augur well for a smooth transition and gives the impression that the outgoing administration is trying to hide
something.
”By its dilly-dallying on the date for the readiness of the handover notes from the MDAs, the administration’s posturing that it is ready
to hand over has been exposed as nothing but a smokescreen,” it said.
APC described as illogical and strange the claim by the Jonathan Administration that the President-elect is trying to set up a parallel
government simply because he had set up his own Transition Committee and given it terms of reference meant to guide the members on the
discharge of their duties as members of that Committee, wondering how on earth those terms of reference have become the concern of the
outgoing Federal Executive Council.
”In case the Federal Executive Council has forgotten, Buhari of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner of the
March 28th presidential election by INEC. Buhari is therefore today the President-elect and the APC the incoming government. It is therefore illogical to accuse the President-elect and the incoming government of setting up a parallel
government.
”It is either the outgoing Federal Executive Council has something to hide or is bent on sabotaging the incoming government. There can be no other reasons for the misplaced aggression that was exhibited in that ill-intentioned, unprovoked and vitriolic statement from the Jonathan
government,” the party said.
It said that in order to put the matter beyond doubt, the party has decided to publish in full the terms of reference in question so that
Nigerians can judge for themselves whether there is anything suggestive of intimidation or running a parallel government in the
document.
this day
