Lagos; A chieftain of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) and one-time House of Representatives aspirant on the platform of All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Barrister Akin Abayomi Omoyinmi, has accused President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of deceiving Nigerians on his government’s often repeated claims of commitment to the implementation of the
recommendations of Justice Muhammadu Uwais-led panel on electoral reforms.
While saying Yar’Adua of only playing to the gallery, Omoyinmi urged Nigerians not to be deceived by the antics of the President over Uwais’ report.
According to Omoyinmi who is also the ARG zonal coordinator for Ikeja Local Government in Lagos State, it is becoming apparent that the President lacked the political will to implement the panel’s report.
“It has become a swan song for the present administration under Yar’Adua to restate its commitment to promotion of tenets of democracy, rule of law and the implementation of Uwais’ panel report, but several months after the it submitted its report, the President and his advisers in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), are playing games with the report. They keep on deceiving Nigerians through their utterances that they were keen on implementing Uwais’ panel’s report, but their body language suggests otherwise. Let Yar’Adua and his advisers know that they can no longer pull wool over the eyes of Nigerians. Their game of deceit has been exposed,” he declared.
Giving reasons why Yar’Adua has been very slow in implementing the report, Omoyinmi said the President and other leaders in PDP realised that implementation of the report would sound the death knell of rigging and other terms of electoral malpractices in the country.
“This is the fear of the President and his advisers. They all know that if the report is implemented, PDP would be in trouble. If the President knows that he is not afraid or if the PDP knows that it is truly popular with the masses, let them be bold to implement Uwais’ report without doctoring or tampering with it,” he declared.
The ARG chief, who expressed concern over the conduct of 2011 polls saying it cannot be free and fair, added: “Without a full implementation of Uwais’ report, Nigerians should know that there can’t be any credible election. With the way things are going, Nigerians should be ready to gird their loins for the battle ahead.”