Niger APC Chieftain, Vatsa @ 64; expresses fear for Nigeria in 2027″ – says Judiciary, INEC may truncate democracy in 2027.
From Our Correspondent
A former commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism and Chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress APC in Niger state Hon Jonathan Vatsa has expressed grave concern over the security challenges and the political development ahead of the 2027 general elections saying that all indices point to a possible anarchy in the country.
Vatsa said he is particularly worried about the role of the judiciary and the body language of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which he believes is capable of throwing the country into anarchy thereby truncating the country hard earned democracy in 2027.
The former commissioner who spoke to Journalists in Minna on Sunday Shortly a thanksgiving service to mark his 64th birthday, also pointed out that the crisis that is brewing in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) will soon burst into flame, adding that it will be a child Play compared to the “sponsored crisis” in all the opposition parties put together.
The former publicity secretary of the party in Niger state said for APC not to have announced the results of the primaries elections almost two months after they were conducted shows that the party is in a deep mess, stressing that “the day APC will announce the results, that will be beginning of the “mother of all crisis” in the party.
He described the crisis in the opposition parties as “a sponsored one” saying that the judiciary and INEC should be held responsible if the county is plunged into political crisis ahead of the 2027 elections.
He nonetheless insisted that “the crisis that is brewing in my party is worst than the crisis in all the opposition parties put together and it will soon explode”.
According to him, what transpired during the just concluded primaries in the party shows a clear case of lack of equity, fairness, justices and a clear lack of internal democracy.
Vatsa sighted the case of Niger state where 80 percent of the expected candidates emerged through what he called “government house arranged consensus” saying that “it was the biggest political desit since the return of democracy in 1999”.
He maintained that the so-called consensus arrangements in the state was more or less an autocratic way of handpicking candidates against the will of the people which will surely boomerang at the end.
He questioned the justification and fairness in allowing a person who is seeing a sixth terms in office and disallowing someone who is seeking a second term, arguing that “that does not in anyway show justice, equity and fairness.
“This high level of injustice will trigger anti-party activities during the general elections. Someone who is contesting elections for the same office for the sixth times is qualified but someone going for the second time is being forced to stepped down under a government house arranged consensus.
“This kind of injustice is enough to trigger anti-party activities even though people are keeping quiet because they want food on their table. People like us who are pioneer member of this great party must speak out no matter the consequences.
“I can assure you that the crisis that will befall APC after the release of the primaries elections results will be enough to consume the party before the general election.
“So as it stands right now none of the political parties is free from crisis even though the APC own is self made crisis waiting to explode, the other political parties crisis are sponsored”, he added.
Speaking further, the outspoken Chieftain of the party believed that if a political party is not being fair to its members how can it be fair to the larger society, adding that “the annoying thing is that everybody is keeping quiet over this impunity and grave injustices that will soon tear the party away because some people are eating with their two fingers and even have extra to take away.
“Like I told you we will continue to speak the truth whether it pleases them or not.
“Afterall people like us who helped to push the broken down or the assembled vehicles called APC to get in motion in 2015 are not the main passengers in the vehicle today but I am not complaining.
“The truth is that I am among the landlord in the party and I cannot leave the house for tenants. As the pioneer publicity secretary of the party, I knew what I went through in the hand of the then ruling government in the state but today this house largely occupied tenants
“These are the same tenants that we accused of corruption and looting and Nigerians believed in us and gave us the mandate”, he submitted
