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Political parties resort to blackmail as campaigns get dirtier

IN desperate moves to woo voters and turn the tide against political opponents, the parties are really fighting dirty to win the 2015 general elections.

From uncouth speeches delivered in hate campaigns and propaganda, promoters and supporters of the two main presidential candidates, APC’s General Muhammadu Buhari and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan of the ruling PDP, have thrown caution to the winds.

ENCOMIUM Weekly continues with the dirty campaigns of the parties.

 

PLOT TO KILL BUHARI, TINUBU SPREADS

It is not clear if the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally reported the alleged plot to assassinate the party’s national leaders, including its presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.  But that is what the opposition party wants the world to believe.

In fact, on Sunday, March 15, 2015, the APC National Publicity Secretary warned the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), not to kill their flag bearer.  Tinubu was actually the first to reveal the plot by the Federal Government to eliminate him.

Neither the PDP nor the Federal Government has reacted to the APC leaders weighty allegations.  Critics of APC are, however, worried that serious matters like attempt on the lives of key political figures, should not be joked with if there was no convincing -evidence to back the allegation.

 

APC EXPOSES JONATHAN’S MEMO TO EFCC

In what has since been dismissed as a fake memo from the Presidency directing the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the media was awash with letters directing the anti-graft agency to investigate key opposition figures.  Named in the memo were APC financier, Tinubu, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, among others.

 

PDP GOVERNORS RUBBISH BUHARI

The PDP Governors Forum met last week to present the “real Buhari” to Nigerians.  With Ekiti’s Ayodele Fayose to the Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, the leaders made uncomplimentary remarks about the leadership of the APC.

Fayose called Buhari a pampers-wearing old man, while Lamido said the opposition parades men unfit to lead the country.  In one expensive joke, Lamido assured if two APC leaders (Buhari and Tinubu) are “sorted out”, the party would crumble.

The Ekiti governor also continued with his lethal bashing of the former Head of State whom he insisted is sick and far spent.

 

BETWEEN FASHOLA, JONATHAN AND BLOODY LEKKI ROBBERS

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) is in the court of public opinion.  He has been accused of making a statement capable of

Asiwaju-Bola-Tinubu
Asiwaju-Bola-Tinubu

promoting hate against President Jonathan and also threatens peace in the state.  Fashola, on Thursday, March 12, 2015, told Lagosians to hold the president responsible for the deadly armed robbery that claimed the lives of three policemen and an innocent teenager.

According to Fashola, the robbers would have been apprehended if all the vehicles procured for the police were not deployed to protect Jonathan, who was in the state that fateful day.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati has, however, given it back to the Governor, calling his statement irresponsible and uncharitable.

Now, critics of the Governor say he goofed, while a few believe that the choice of words of the presidential spokesman left much to be desired.

But keen observers of the war of words from both camps predict that more of these unguarded utterances would suffice these few days to the March 28 presidential election.

 

GEJ, TINUBU IN INTERIM GOVT SCANDAL

The rumour of the plot to form an interim government had been on for a while now.  First muted after the postponement of the February 14 presidential election, the question now is who are the brains behind the unconstitutional contraption?

Despite Jonathan’s repeated denial of plotting an interim government, the APC insists he actually wooed Tinubu with a vice presidential offer.  And on Sunday, March 15, 2015, former Ekiti State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi maintained they have evidence to show Asiwaju was lobbied to be part of the interim government arrangement.

As the controversy rages, political pundits said that both parties really have something to hide in the bid to be noticed as promoters of constitutional democracy.  The sincerity of the Jonathan administration in this is also questionable despite its claim to the opposite.

 

MU’AZU TAKES THE HEAT

PDP Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu is on fire.  Not only necessarily from his party men.  His media minder suspect the APC is blowing his challenges out of proportion.  In syndicated articles on the subject, the party chairman’s spokesman, Mr. Tony Amadi accused the opposition of creating an imaginary rift between him and President Jonathan.

The APC has been fingered in the propaganda that reminds the North that the PDP presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is comfortable with the ongoing demonization of Buhari and the North.

 

ON BUHARI’S ONE-TERM PACT

Also being promoted in the polity is the agreement General Buhari allegedly signed in respect of doing just one term.  Labeled as a senseless propaganda by the ruling PDP and its supporters, the APC has since distanced itself from the purported pact.

 

IS BUHARI SPONSORING BOKO HARAM?

There were also reports over the weekend that the radical militant group, Boko Haram has endorsed Buhari’s presidency.  Wherever that was coming from, saner minds wonder how that has to do with Buhari being a key sponsor of the insurgents.

It would be recalled the APC candidate has at different occasions pledged to deal with insurgents if elected president.

 

THE TRUTH AND LIES ABOUT GEJ’S ENDORSEMENT IN S/WEST

Nobody also knows what to believe about Jonathan’s endorsement in the South West.  While PDP supporters claim Yoruba Obas prayed for the president and adopted him as their candidate for the 2015 elections, we have also been told traditional rulers don’t pray with staffs and sticks.

Those familiar with Yoruba culture claim the president was rather deceived by the Obas, that prayers are crowned with horse tail (irukere) on the recipient by any traditional ruler or Oba.

 

TINUBU’S COY LANDS INEC N2.6B CONTRACT

It also emerged last week that one of the companies of Tinubu is a major contractor with INEC.  Allegedly paid over N2 billion, the harbingers of the far-fetched tale said that is the reason Jega must go.

 

PRO GEJ GROUPS, MASSOB TACKLE JEGA

Relatedly, anti-Jega groups are also believed to be spinning dirty propaganda to tarnish the image of the electoral umpire.

From Goodluck Lagos Grassroots Projects to militia groups like MASSOB and OPC, the politically motivated protest against the INEC chairman has spread to the South-East and South-West.

 

– UCHE OLEHI

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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