‘National Confab Not For Jonathan’s 2015 Agenda’

The Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs,  Sen. Ben Obi, says that the Advisory Committee on National Dialogue is not aimed at fostering President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 programme.

Obi said this at a voter sensitisation and civic education workshop for political parties and stakeholders in Awka on Monday.

The programme was organised by the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC), in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to Obi, President Jonathan set up the committee due to demand by Nigerians.

Obi, who said President Jonathan was committed to ensuring that democracy thrived in the country, appealed to political parties to enshrine internal democracy in their structures.

He also advised the governorship candidates in the state to pay more attention on campaigning on issues rather than mudslinging, saying that the issues should be based on their party manifestos.

Obi also enjoined political parties in the governorship election to eschew violence, urging voters to turn out en mass to exercise their civic duties of voting candidates of their choice.

In his remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, commended IPAC for leading the way in providing civic and voter education for the success of the poll.

The chairman said that the commission was being restructured to reduce the number of irregularities and challenges noticed by observers and officials of the commission during elections.

Represented by Dame Gesila Khan, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Delta, Jega said 20 million copies of the PVC had been delivered while the rest would be delivered by mid 2014.

INEC Federal Commissioner in charge of Political Parties, Hajiya Amina Zakari, commended political parties for coming together under IPAC, urging them to ensure free and credible poll.

Earlier, IPAC Chairman, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said that the Anambra governorship election was a litmus test for INEC, political parties and Nigerians in getting elections right.