The immediate past National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi has said that how the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies conduct the 2019 general elections will determine the fate of Nigeria.
Makarfi made the assertion during an interactive session with newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.
Makarfi, who was also a two-time Senator, scored both INEC and security agencies low in their performance, noting that their conducts could make or mar Nigeria before, during and after the elections.
He stated that the actions of both agencies could threaten Nigeria’s peace and survival.
According to him: “I was shocked when I saw the news in an online medium that the 2019 elections may be postponed, but thank God, I later saw INEC coming out to deny making such pronouncement. Notwithstanding, that was the most dangerous news I ever read, that was very reckless.
“You see, the interest of Nigeria is larger than the interest of any of us. How we conduct the election and how we manage the electoral process will largely determine the fate of Nigeria.
“INEC and the security agencies must know that the fate of this country squarely lies on their shoulders. It is not even about history being kind to them, it is about how they will end up. Therefore, they must conduct free, fair and credible elections.
“When you see some moves like freezing of accounts, monitoring of opposition governors but you’ve never heard where an APC Governor’s account is being frozen. The APC governors may be doing worse, but you never hear that happen to any APC governor and elections are approaching, you don’t hear of APC members, aspirants accounts being frozen. You know something is not right.
“if you are doing anything to anybody, do it to everybody. Our governors must be left alone to work, our aspirants must be left alone to do their politicking and campaign unmolested like other aspirants.
“So, for me, I think INEC and security agencies have a lot to do and so far, I am not impressed, but they must remember that the fate of Nigeria lies squarely on their shoulders. PDP and other political parties will do what is right.”
Makarfi also warned the ruling party not to be carried away with the comfort of power, saying they are not immune from calamity.
“I am cautioning APC, they should not be smiling and grinning, we must never burst this bubble.
“They should not be carried away by the comfort of power, and think that they are immune from calamity. We are all not immune from calamity; nobody knows when calamity will come. We all have a stake, we all have responsibility, be you PDP, APC or any other political party and especially INEC and security agencies and other agencies that are used to muscle down the opposition, they must remember that the country comes first, not any government or political party,” he added.
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