The opposition of the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the use of card reader during the March 28 and April 11 general elections has been described as an international embarrassment.
Former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, said
the stance by the ruling party to a move that would bring international recognition to Nigeria is questionable and a misplaced political calculation.
He also said in Ilorin that Nigerians must continue to hold President Goodluck Jonathan accountable to ensure that the election holds as rescheduled, pointing out that it would be wrong to misjudge the calmness with which Nigerians received the earlier postponement of the polls.
“I cannot speak for PDP but I am surprised that any political party that means well for Nigeria in our progressing democracy would not support anything that would make the electoral process more credible. Everybody who has seen the card reader knows that this is in the direction of a better election, more sophisticated approach, has integrated technology support, improved the system, it has been done in Ghana and other parts of Africa.
“If you look at India and all those places, this is all towards best practices. The observers, European Union (EU) and international community have praised INEC for coming out with an electoral process that is more modern, more efficient, more credible, more transparent.
” So, how can a political party, even a party in government now say that they are against the card reader? The card reader works, it brings values to the process, it makes Nigeria look better in the international community but because of their own myopic interest, because they are afraid of election, because they are afraid that with the card reader, you would be limited to issue of rigging, that can be the main reason otherwise.
“And I think it is really embarrassing for the party to still be going on about this issue of card reader. But I think they are trying to do damage control now because I think I read somewhere, the Vice-President saying that, ‘Oh, PDP is not afraid of card reader’. I think there are still people that are trying to do the right thing in the party.
“I think it was a wrong political calculation for them to come out and say that. If you go round, the feeling of Nigerians all over is that, let us have a credible election. Does the card reader make the election credible? Of course, it makes it credible. Does the card reader make our election move towards international standard? Yes, it does. So, how will anybody reject it? What many of us think is that it is just because they are afraid of going into election.
“I think we have to take the President by his words. He has told us many a times that the election would hold and that there would not be another postponement. We have to take him by his words and I think he should ensure that he keeps to that words and he should not take Nigerians for granted.
“I believe the calmness of the country is part of the maturity and commitment of Nigerians to take him by his words. He needs to do the right thing. I do not believe that the country and the people would be taken lightly if we decide again to postpone the election.
“I hope that he would look at the bigger picture, look at the country, not to plunge the country in any crisis and ensure that that election holds. INEC is prepared. The military and co have said they too are not in support of further postponement. So, I think we must take him for his words and only caution that he should not do anything that would plunge the country into crisis.
” Nigerians want election to hold. The international community wants the election to hold and I think for the stability of this country and our democracy, elections must hold according to the guidelines as stipulated in our constitution.”
