TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the stated commitment of President Goodluck Jonathan, in his New Year message, to the conduct of free, fair and violence-free elections this year. But it urged the president to match the commitment with action and leave the electoral umpire to do its work.

Speaking on Thursday through Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, the party expressed satisfaction that the president and his party had come out publicly to pledge their commitment to successful and violence-free polls in February.

“In a statement we issued on December 28, 2014, we assured Nigerians that we will do everything in our power to make the 2015 elections violence-free. Since then, PDP national chairman Adamu Muazu and the president have joined us in making similar pledges. This is a welcome development that will gladden the hearts of our citizens who are very apprehensive about the forthcoming elections,” it said.

However, the APC said the best way to make the elections free, fair and devoid of violence was for the federal government to ensure a level playing field for all the parties by not tampering with the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not using the security agencies to witchhunt the opposition and not deliberately disenfranchising all those who are qualified to vote

“If an election is free, fair and transparent and seen to be so by all, it will be easy for all concerned to accept the outcome, and there will be no violence. Violence only occurs when there is a realisation that the process has been skewed against some and in favour of others,” the party said.

It restated its assurance to Nigerians and the international community that it would do all in its power to make sure that the 2015 general election is violence free.

“We also restate our stand that even with the little time left for the election to hold, a meeting of the leadership of the two main political parties, the APC and the PDP, will send a powerful message to our compatriots and indeed the international community and douse the tension that is building up ahead of the election,” APC said.

The party wished all Nigerians a happy New Year, and urged them to be prepared to use their votes to install a government that would make their dreams come true and make Nigeria a proud member of the comity of nations.