Thirty presidential candidates in the February 16 election, has expressed disaffection with a former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, for attacking the integrity of INEC to conduct credible elections in 2019.
The presidential candidates, who spoke under the banner of The Patriotic Presidential Forum (PPF), said they believe in the sincerity, credibility and capacity of INEC to conduct all elections, including the presidential polls of 16th February 2019.
The PPF chairman and presidential candidate of Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), Dr. Onwubuya John Breakforth, spoke on behalf of the forum at a press conference yesterday in Abuja.
He urged all Nigerians, other presidential candidates, political party leaders, political elites and all the candidates and voters to have faith in INEC’s integrity to conduct all the elections.
He wondered why leaders, who supposed to be bridge builders, have chosen to overheat the polity.
He added that they should remember that if the election turns violence, they will be the first to run out of the country and leave the masses to suffer.
His words: “We appeal to the former president and other opposition parties to count INEC out of any alleged APC rigging machinery.
“They should note that every political party contesting must have their legitimate plans to win. If APC is planning to rig, we believe INEC is not aware.
“INEC should put her machinery in motion to check out all this allegations. Our believe in INEC as a commission is not negotiable; the chairman of INEC is a Professor of repute and all the commissioners are Nigerians of proven integrity, we can trust them wholeheartedly.
“Therefore they will carry out their duties with competence and unbending neutrality. We are aware that INEC has perfected all her plans to deploy workable Card Readers and adequate distribution of all sensitive materials to the respectively states, LGA’s, Wards and polling units on time and uncompromised,” Breakforth said.
He insisted that the PPF is not speaking for INEC but that as a major stakeholder in the process, they are concerned about having uninterrupted electoral process.
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