APC, a party of liars, says Gani Adams

Convener of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerians (CCN) and National Coordinator, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a party of liars and propagandists.
He was reacting to the outcome of last week’s rally convened by the coalition in Lagos against the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, during which the APC alleged that its banners were destroyed.
Adams said the photograph shown by one of the major television stations in its reportage of the protest was a file photograph of a protest rally by the Dr. Frederick Fasehun-led OPC to protest a threat by Boko Haram to attack the South-West in September, 2011.
Adams also described ‎allegations that the OPC has been paid to disrupt Saturday’s election as false.
He said: “Our protest on March 16, 2015 was very peaceful. Against the claim by the APC that that protest was violent, I stand here to tell you that ‎since the June 12, 1993‎ protest, that protest was one of the most peaceful protests I have ever witnessed in Nigeria.
“For a protest, which involved top 28 Nollywood stars, members of several civil society groups and OPC members, numbering over 300,000 to have lasted for four hours without a single incident of violence, is no doubt a huge credit to our maturity and sincerity of purpose.
“Shocking enough, they want us to believe that the protest, which in actual fact can be called a road show, because we simply had fun trekking from the old toll gate to the National Stadium, was violent.
“But we have investigated the matter and found out that picture shown by one of the major television stations was indeed shot on September 8, 2011, during a protest rally by the Dr. Frederick Fasheun-led OPC to protest a threat of Boko Haram to attack the South-West.
“If indeed the APC has pictures of CCN members destroying their billboards as they claimed, they should give such pictures to the police to investigate”.
Speaking on the rationale behind the protest, he said: “We have observed that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has consistently carried actions which we feel are inimical to the much-needed cry for free and fair elections.
“Interestingly, as at Sunday, March 22, 2015, when collection rate of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) was finally closed by INEC, only 81 per cent of the total registered voters have collected their PVCs. By our calculation, 19 per cent of registered voters have been disenfranchised because they could not collect their PVCs.
“Furthermore, we have calculated that that 19 per cent amounts to 12 million Nigerians who would not vote for no fault of theirs. This population is more than the entire population of Gambia and several countries in the world.
“If you recall, in the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the number of Nigerians who made the difference for MKO Abiola was 14 million. Is this not, therefore, ridiculous that it is this huge number of voters that Prof. Jega has disenfranchised because of his shortcomings?”
Responding to allegations that the OPC and CCN have been paid to disrupt Saturday’s presidential election, thus making it inconclusive, Adams said: “For the records, every action we have taken in relation to the elections is within the purview of our constitutionally-guaranteed human rights. Like every other Nigerian, we eagerly look forward to the elections, and our members are set to exercise their franchise as free born citizens of this country.”