FG plotting to sabotage handover, APC alleges

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The All Progressives Congress on
Thursday accused the Goodluck
Jonathan administration of plotting
to hinder a smooth handover of
power on May 29.
It alleged that it was becoming
apparent that the outgoing
government would not fully
cooperate with the incoming
government of Muhammadu
Buhari, despite its public posturing
in that regard.
The party, in a statement by its
National Publicity Secretary, Lai
Mohammed, described as an act of
hostility, the “unnecessary
vituperation against the incoming
Buhari administration by the
Jonathan government.”
It said the “unnecessary
vituperation’’ was not just
because of the terms of reference
of the Buhari transition committee,
but a part of an orchestrated plot to
sabotage the incoming
government.
The APC therefore rejected what it
referred to as the continued
blackmail by the government and
wondered whether the concession
of defeat by the President to Buhari
had now become a shield for all its
wrongdoings.
It said, “We are sick and tired of
being blackmailed by the
Jonathanians. Gen. Buhari won the
March 28 presidential election fair
and square, having satisfied both
constitutional and other statutory
requirements.
“We have no apology for our victory
and the concession of defeat –
while it may have increased the
political stock of President
Jonathan – has by no means
diminished the historic and
emphatic victory of Gen. Buhari and
the APC.”
The APC said that while the
outgoing government had earlier
issued a memo to all ministries,
departments and agencies to make
sure their handover notes were
ready by April 20, it reversed itself
and said that the handover notes
would not be ready until May 14.
The statement added, ‘’With the
new date, the Buhari transition
committee will have little or no
time to take a thorough look at the
handover notes or seek clarification
on knotty issues, effectively
handing it (Buhari transition
committee) a fait accompli as far as
the handover notes are concerned.
“This does not augur well for a
smooth transition and gives the
impression that the outgoing
administration is trying to hide
something. By its dilly-dallying on
the date for the readiness of the
handover notes from the MDAs, the
administration’s posturing that it is
ready to hand over has been
exposed as nothing but a
smokescreen.”
The party also described as
“illogical and strange,” the claim by
the government that the
President-elect was trying to set up
a parallel government simply
because he had set up his own
transition committee and given it
terms of reference.
The APC wondered how those
terms of reference had become the
concern of the outgoing Federal
Executive Council.
It added, ‘‘In case the Federal
Executive Council has forgotten,
Gen. Buhari was declared the
winner of the March 28 election by
the Independent National Electoral
Commission. Gen. Buhari is
therefore today the President-elect
and the APC the incoming
government. It is therefore illogical
to accuse the President-elect and
the incoming government of
setting up a parallel government.
‘‘It is either the outgoing FEC has
something to hide or is bent on
sabotaging the incoming
government. There can be no other
reasons for the misplaced
aggression that was exhibited in
that ill-intentioned, unprovoked
and vitriolic statement from the
Jonathan government.’’
The party said that in order to put
the matter beyond doubt, it had
decided to publish in full, the terms
of reference in question so that
Nigerians can judge for themselves
whether there is anything
suggestive of intimidation or
running a parallel government in
them.
APC warned the Jonathanians not to
overstretch the goodwill which the
President had earned by his
gracious concession even before
INEC officially declared Buhari as
president-elect.
‘‘Are they now saying that because
the President conceded defeat, the
incoming administration can no
longer ask legitimate questions or
seek clarifications that may arise
from the handover notes? the party
asked.
It gave the terms of reference for
the Buhari transition committee as
follows:
To develop a clear framework
for liaison with the outgoing
administration for purposes of a
smooth handover/take-over.
To receive handover documents
from Ministries, Departments
and Agencies and itemise the
most important or most urgent
issues confronting the incoming
government.
To review and make preliminary
assessment of the balance sheet
of government with particular
emphasis on:
(a). The status of assets and
liabilities of government.
(b). Cash flow position of the
government.
(c). Quantum of public domestic
and external debts of government
and their deployment.
(d). Government’s outstanding
contractual obligations and its
ability to meet such obligations.
(e). Status of implementation of
capital projects.
Undertake a preliminary
assessment of the security
challenges facing the country
and the:
(a). Counter-insurgency measures
taken by the government thus far.
(b). Counter policy measures being
implemented in the Niger Delta to
deal with unrest and major
economic crimes in the area. In
particular, the status of the
amnesty programme.
(c). Readiness of the Police and
other national security and
intelligence agencies in addressing
threats to law and order.
Provide a brief overview of the
Central Bank of Nigeria, the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, the Nigerian
Communications Commission,
the Nigeria Customs Service
and the Federal Inland Revenue
Service.
Suggest “quick fixes” which will
result in tangible, visible and
practical measures so that
CHANGE will be seen after 30
days; after 100 days and after six
months of the administration
taking office.
Make any other observations
which in view of the committee
would be helpful to the
transition and take-off of the
new administration.
Efforts made to get the
Presidency’s reaction to the claim
by the APC that the Jonathan
government was planning to
hinder smooth handover of power
on May 29 did not yield any positive
result.
The Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity,
Reuben Abati, could not be reached
as of 9pm when this report was
filed.