In a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described as very curious the fact that the PDP that rushed to the press to deny the APC’s claims quickly turned around to confirm them.

“At the press conference we addressed on Wednesday, which rattled the PDP and the Jonathan administration so much, we listed the conditions given by the PDP/Jonathan administration before the election could hold: No permanent voters’ cards (PVCs), No card readers, No Jega, and the fact that they want the military deployed to harass and intimidate voters.

“We mentioned ‘card readers’ at least three times during the press conference, and said they (PDP/Jonathan administration) are doing everything possible to sabotage the machine and prevent its use.

“Both the spokesmen for the PDP and the Jonathan Campaign Organization rushed to the press to deny any such ‘reprehensible’ plan. But a few hours later, the spokesman for the campaign organization told an incredulous country that they would oppose the use of card readers, apparently after their party overruled the spokesmen. Obviously, these men are outsiders in their own party and it is now obvious that the opposition knows more about the inner workings of their party than they do,” it said.

APC said in an apparently choreographed show, some 15 portfolio political parties called a press conference to also announce that they would oppose the use of the card readers, vowing to boycott the elections and use a legal process to prevent the use of the machine. The party said these syndicated threats were the latest indications of the mortal fear in the corridors of power about the machine that had now become the nemesis of election riggers and manipulators worldwide.

It said contrary to the claim by the PDP, Nigerians were ready for a free, fair and credible election to be made possible by the use of the card readers, and would massively resist any move to dump the machine.

“Nigerians have sacrificed all they can to obtain their PVCs, which is now their most-prized possession. They have also hailed the plan by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the card readers to give the country credible polls. Only dishonest politicians, those who plan to rig, those who have engaged in a massive purchase of PVCs and those who have something to hide are opposed to the use of the machine.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our party is ready for any tool, including the card readers, that will ensure that the votes of Nigerians will count in the forthcoming elections.”

“In this regard, we sincerely hope that the nationwide tests of the card readers to be carried out this week by INEC will not be sabotaged by those opposed to the machine.

“The card readers have been demonstrated to work, including at the Senate, and no one must come out to tell Nigerians anything to the contrary.

“The huge investments in providing PVCs for Nigerians will not be worthwhile, if the cards will not be authenticated by card readers, which, by the way, have been used in many other countries, all of them less endowed than Nigeria, in Africa.”

APC said the party was taking the forthcoming elections very seriously and closely monitoring every move of those who do not want the elections to hold, or if they must hold at all, only on their own terms.

It said, for example, the party (APC) was aware of an all-night meeting (Wednesday/Thursday) between a South-West governor and security chiefs on how to rig the forthcoming polls in the geo-political zone, but it remained convinced that no one was powerful enough to stop an idea whose time had come.