DSS allegation, a ploy to postpone election, says APC

• Presidency condemns burning of Jonathan’s campaign vehicles
• Bakare denies working against 2015 polls
• President’s campaign team asks Buhari to call supporters to order
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the allegation by the Department of State Service (DSS) that it planned to hack into the database of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of ongoing efforts of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to postpone next month’s general elections.
  Meanwhile, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, Sunday condemned the burning of a campaign vehicle of Jonathan in Jos at the weekend by suspected supporters of the APC.
  Also, the Senior Pastor, Latter Rain Assembly and former presidential running mate of the APC presidential candidate, Major-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), Tunde Bakare, has denied the insinuation that he is practically working against the 2015 elections. He said he was not opposed to the conduct of peaceful elections in Nigeria.


Addressing a press conference in Lagos Sunday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed said the Jonathan administration having seen the growing popularity of the APC candidate “has gone into a panic mode, while embarking on a plan to postpone the elections.”
  DSS had last week alleged that from its preliminary findings from the search of the Lagos office of the APC in November last year, “there was suspected elaborate and well articulated plan to inflate the party’s membership data as well as hack into INEC voters registration database.”
  However, The Guardian learnt Sunday that the DSS is planning to prosecute those found culpable in the alleged offence.
  But Mohammed, while debunking the allegation said the thinking at the DSS which was allegedly working in cahoots with the PDP, is that “its report that the APC plans to hack into voters registration database of INEC will raise doubts about the integrity of the voters register to be used for the forthcoming polls and subsequently force a postponement of the elections since the existing register cannot be used for the polls.”
  Stressing that the findings of the DSS cannot stand any serious scrutiny by independent investigation, the APC accused the DSS of working backwards from answer to question, in an effort to reach a predetermined conclusion.
  On the alleged hacking into INEC’s database, Mohammed said the findings of the DSS have shown that the agency does not understand the concept of hacking. “We are not aware that INEC has made a complaint of anyone or group trying to hack into its system. The DSS findings are baseless as INEC’s database is a reflection of the registered members with permanent voters card (PVC). Please note that at the time of the DSS raids, the PVC had already been printed. Therefore, of what value would it be to hack into the system and input more names?”
  He maintained that it is not possible for the APC to hack into INEC’s database based on the fact that it was not online and that there was no Internet service at the APC data centre that was raided. “The DSS has claimed that hacking tutorials were discovered on an external hard drive. This is a lie! All the USB ports on the PC systems in the office were disabled to prevent virus intrusion. 
   “Therefore, the use of external hard drives is not allowed at the APC data centre. If this is so, how is it possible for an external hard drive containing these so-called hacking materials to be found on the premises of the APC data office?” 
   Alkali said in a statement in Abuja that the burning of the vehicles has further demonstrated the level of the desperation of the opposition and their plot to intimidate other Nigerians out of the political space.
  He declared that the incident will not deter the determination of Jonathan to ensure free and fair elections are conducted nationwide next month.
  “We have observed a dangerous trend of politically motivated violence unleashed on innocent Nigerians by supporters of those who have shown desperation to assume political power at all costs.
   “While we are not surprised by acts of desperation already shown by these people who have no articulate agenda for nation building, we are amazed at how quickly they are willing to manifest their evil intentions on our dear country.
   “The incident in Jos, Plateau State where our campaign vehicles were torched by irate youth supporters of the APC underscores the need for vigilance as we progress towards the general elections. This criminal behaviour, which is meant to intimidate others and deny them their freedom of choice, stands condemned.
  “The leaders whose utterances and conduct have encouraged this kind of behaviour must bear full responsibility for this. With the way things are going, it seems the ultimate agenda of making Nigeria ungovernable as prophesied by these politicians is underway.
   “In carrying out this unpatriotic behaviour, they wish to first of all discredit the electoral process and set the stage for an orgy of violence once they fail in the elections.   
   “Nigerians are well aware of these antics and are fully prepared to protect their rights to freedom of choice.
  “We condemn the acts of violence in Jos, Plateau State and also condemn the threats to violence in every other part of the country. 
  In the statement captioned: “This ugly trend must stop,” Prof. Alkali reiterated that the Federal Government is determined to ensure that no Nigerian is prevented from campaigning in any part of the country.
    “We declare unequivocally that no Nigerian citizen should be prevented from campaigning in any part of the country. We therefore call on the law enforcement agencies to protect and guarantee the safety of every Nigerian legitimately canvassing for votes all over Nigeria.
   “We invite law enforcement agencies to note the pronouncements of desperate politicians who are bent on fanning the embers of hate and threaten the peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections.
   “We once more wish to reiterate the commitment of President Jonathan to a peaceful and rancour free electoral process.   He has said times without number that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.”
  He further added: “We therefore call on members of the PDP and supporters of the President to exercise restraint and show maturity even in the face of extreme provocations. We must show a difference in our conduct and prove to agent provocateurs that we have the temperament and composure to tolerate dissent without decent to mob action. Finally, we wish to sound a note of warning to politicians to desist from this vicious circle of lies, rumours, intimidation and violence.”
   Bakare explained his position at a press conference yesterday where he reacted to series of comments that have trailed his call for the postponement of the 2015 general elections.
  “My last week suggestion was ‎never an attempt to impose my personal view on the nation. Instead, it was a prophetic directive that the country should rather hold on the election to avoid the violence that is likely to trail its conduct. I gave a prophetic message and I’m not running away from it. I’m talking from the perspective of the scripture.”
   The cleric explained that his call for interim government in Nigeria was simply to avoid the looming chaos after the proposed election, and more so because prevention is better than cure.
  Clarifying his position on the issue, Bakare said: “Since last Sunday, social, print and electronic media have been awashed with our state of the nation broadcast. I thank everyone for the feedback, those who deemed our analysis and propositions reasonable, those who lumped us with so-called supporters of President Jonathan and the PDP, those who vehemently opposed or simply disagreed with our contributions and those who are torn between opinions.
   “I didn’t say in any part of the speech that you must, but that this is an alternative and if you don’t take care of it, I pray that there is still a country to preside over.”
  Meanwhile, PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation has called on Buhari to call his supporters to order and ensure a violence-free election.
   Director of Media and Publicity of the Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, made the call in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja against the backdrop of the violence, arson and destruction unleashed on President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign buses at Zololo Junction along Bauchi road in Jos North North Local Council of Plateau State on Saturday.
  Fani-Kayode warned Buhari and the APC not to prepare the ground for the re-enactment of the post-election violence of 2011.
   According to him, “it is on record that General Buhari’s utterances since 2011 have fuelled violence especially the post-election violence in parts of the north which claimed the lives of many youth corps members who were deployed as ad-hoc staff members for that year’s election.  It is sad that up till now Buhari has refused to apologize to the Nigerian people for that barbaric and shameful incident or show any remorse for the actions of his supporters. He could not even bring himself to tender an apology to the families of those young corps members that were hacked to death and murdered in cold blood by his agents.
  “As if that was not enough tragedy unleashed on the polity, Buhari recently said that the ‘baboon and the dog would be soaked in blood if what happened in 2011 repeat itself in 2015.’
   “The Jos attack on the campaign buses of President Goodluck Jonathan would appear to be a pointer to what the opposition APC presidential candidate is planning before and after the February 14 presidential election.
   “We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians and members of the international community to speak forcefully against this development, which threatens our elections and democracy and which falls way below the standard of best international practices.

 http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/lead-story/193580-dss-allegation-a-ploy-to-postpone-election-says-apc