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Monday 23 March 2015

Elections Will Hold As Planned, Jonathan Insists

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President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to ensure the forthcoming general elections rescheduled for March 28 and April 11 respectively hold as scheduled.
The insistence of Jonathan on the sanctity of the polls this Saturday was reflective of concerns and speculations in certain quarters that the Presidency is seeking further shift in elections date. There is also claims that an Interim government arrangement was in the offing.
However, Chairman of the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega at interactive session with civil society organisations last week, declared that elections will hold as scheduled.
Jonathan, who participated at the 2015 Presidential Debate organised by the Nigerian Elections Debate Group (NEDG) in Abuja as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said “let me use this unique opportunity to thank Nigerians for showing so much interest in the electoral process and to reassure Nigerians that elections will be conducted as scheduled by INEC.

“Presidential and National Assembly election on the 28th of this month and governorship and state house of assembly election on the 11th of next month”.
However, 12 presidential candidates participated in the debate, even though presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the debate.
APC has since distanced itself from the debates.
 
The candidates fielded questions and presented their plans for the diversification of the economy, how they intend to address corruption, tackle education challenges, sanitise the oil sector, handle the security challenge in the country vis-a-vis the post insurgency issues in North east, amongst others.
Besides Jonathan, other candidates at the debate were Other candidates include: Tunde Anifowose-Kelani of Action Alliance (AA); Ganiyu Galadima, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN); Rafiu Salau, Alliance for Democracy (AD); Mani Ibrahim Ahmad, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Ayeni Muda Adebayo, African Peoples Alliance (APA).
Others are: Sam Eke, Citizens Popular Party (CPP); Ambrose Owuru, Hope Democratic Party (HDP); Comfort Oluerimi Shonaiya, KOWA Party; Martin Onovo, National Conference Party (NCP); Godson Okoye, United Democratic Party (UDP); and Chekwas Okorie, United Progressive Party (UDP).
‎Jonathan, who retraced the successes of military in the war against insurgency, added that the use of drones gave the military the upper in the war.
Okorie of UPP however advocated for state policing, noting that it would solve the country’s myriad security challenges. He also canvassed for resource control and true federalism. 
For Shonaiya, the KOWA Party candidate and only female in the top race, the ultimate success in the nation’s fight against insurgency is rescuing the Chibok girls kidnapped April last year. She also emphasised the need for proper welfare for the soilders as well as proper equipment of the military.
Onovo of UDP, promised to upgrade the nation’s refineries to ensure that they function at 100 per cent capacity.
He said “If this is done, we will not only satisfy local demand but also export petroleum products. We will not privatise our refineries. We will fix them”.

While Anifowose-Kelani of AA promised uninterrupted power supply before the end of the year if elected, Galadima said if elected, his party would ensure that each state generate its own power, arguing that unemployment has forced people into oil bunkering.
Using China as a case study, he said his government will make corruption a capital offence. But Jonathan sharply disagreed with him, insisting that prevention of corruption by strengthening institutions is the best way to tackle corruption frontally.
On his part, Salau stated that his administration will solve the nation’s power problems within two years, adding: “We can create an economy big enough for all to thrive. We will create jobs by expanding the economy of the country. 30 percent of national income will go into investment of the economy”.
ADC candidate, Ahmad said the main thrust of his government is education, promising to cut down on the cost of governance and channel such monies into education.
He also promised to decentralise power generation and distribution and invest in alternative sources of energy namely: solar, wind, nuclear power.
“A lot of people are involved in corrupt practices because they know they will get away with it. If all corrupt officers are brought to book, it will serve as punitive measure to others.
“We will remove the police from the barracks and make them live amongst the people with plain clothes so that there will be more intelligent gathering”, he said.
Also, Adebayo of APA promised to put the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) directly under his watch for closer supervision, saying he would lead by example by declaring his assets.
CPP candidate, Eke, said he would extend the mandatory one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme to two years, with a view to ensuring that Corps Members are trained in the art of bearing arms for possible call up to defend the nation’s territorial integrity when the need arises.
Also, Owuru promised to transform Nigeria within 24 hours if election. “Except there is a regime change the problem of oil theft will continue. Since Nigeria is a mono-economy, this is the more reason why we should put a halt to oil bunkering. The N400,000 barrels per day crude oil theft is equivalent to N32biliion daily.”

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