Jonathan’s ploy to divide APC won’t work -Fayemi

Ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said the reported silent moves by President Goodluck Jonathan to woo former Vice President Atiku Abubakar back to the Peoples Democratic Party won’t work.
According to him, the ploy was to cause division in the opposition All Progressives Congress to dim the chances of its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) during the March 28 elections.
The former governor also said the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, could only be done in accordance to the 1999 Constitution.
Fayemi spoke on Thursday while appearing on Sunrise Daily, a political programme on Channels Television monitored in Ado Ekiti.
He was reacting to the declaration of supports by some groups under the Turaki Vanguard for the presidential candidature of President Jonathan.
Fayemi, who is the Director of Policy, Research and Documentation of the APC Presidential Campaign organisation, said Atiku remained a committed leader of the party and would work for the victory of Buhari.
He said, “Anybody can just pick some people on the street and call them members of Turaki’s group. Though, I am aware of the surreptitious plans to divide us, but wooing Atiku back to PDP will not certainly work because he is committed to this project.
“So, Atiku is still in APC and he has come out boldly to denounce this group. It was a fact that he offered himself to be president but the delegate acted otherwise by voting for Gen Buhari.
“I don’t foresee that he will walk away from APC on the basis of this because there is nothing on the ground to make him do that. He has remained consistent for Gen. Buhari and he is committed to APC.”
Fayemi said the entire Nigerian populace would query Jonathan, if he sacked Jega at this critical time, saying such attempt could bring suspicion that would do the country no good.
On the mock accreditation conducted by INEC in 12 States to test-run the workability of the card readers, Fayemi advised the Commission to block all loopholes based on the reservations expressed by some critical stakeholders for the outcome of the elections to be acceptable.
He, however, expressed optimism that the card reader would turn out to be a blessing in view of the success recorded in Lagos, which he said was known to be densely populated.