The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Jonathan
Administration of plotting to hinder a smooth handover of power on May
29th,. as it is becoming apparent that the Administration will not
fully cooperate with the incoming government, despite its public
posturing in that regard.
In a statement issued in Abuja 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
whether the concession, gracious as it was, has now become a shield
for all wrong doings.
”We are sick and tired of being blackmailed by the Jonathanians. Gen.
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 Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress,” APC 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 dillydallying 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 has 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, Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner of the
March 28th Presidential Election by INEC. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is
therefore today the President-elect and the All Progressives Congress
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.
APC warned the Jonathanians not to overstretch the goodwill which the
President has earned by his gracious concession even before INEC
officially declared Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the March
28th Presidential election, saying while it was momentous, it was not
unprecedented in Africa, where power has changed hands peacefully
between the ruling and opposition parties in several nations.
”Are they now saying that because the President conceded defeat, the
incoming administration can no longer ask legitimate questions or seek
clarifications that may arise from the handover notes.
”We will not surrender to any blackmail, subtle or otherwise. We
shall ask questions and ask for explanations and clarifications
whenever and wherever we deem such necessary. We cannot run a
transparently honest government or fight corruption if we are
prevented from asking legitimate questions and seeking clarifications
from the outgoing government during the transition process. Let the
Jonathan Administration not tie our hands behind our back just because
he conceded defeat after losing an election,” the party said
