Port Harcourt has still not quietened down and there are extensive reports of armed intimidation of voters and theft of ballot papers and voting materials. According to Sahara Reporters, there is more evidence that the 2 days of public holidays declared by the President were to stop the Supreme Court meeting and ruling that Atiku Abubakar can stand in next weekend's Presidential elections.
fear of the justices of the Supreme Court was primarily responsible for the urgent act by the regime to stave of defeat in a lawsuit filed by Alhaji Abuabakar Atiku to force the Independent National Electoral Commission to include Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the ballot in the upcoming presidential elections.
Since last week, following series of defeat in the courts and serious international pressure some elements at the presidency had approached Abubakar Atiku to seek “peace” between him and President Obasanjo, apparently, this was a decoy to prevent Atiku Abubakar from forming any alliance with ANPP presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari hence Atiku had refused to attend an opposition leaders meeting convened by Buhari to create a grand alliance against president Obasanjo and the much hated People's Democratic Party (PDP).
Sources told Saharareporters that Atiku had asked that Buhari postpone the meetings from Wednesday to Thursday, but gave no reasons for requesting the shift, but the "negotiating team" from the presidency overheard Atiku bragging that he didn't want to attend the Buhari parley because he had assurances from the Supreme Court that they will rule in his favor, which automatically means that he will feature as a presidential candidate for the Action Congress (AC).
The presidency was shocked about the development and quickly decided to declare two days of public holidays in order to prevent the Supreme Court justices from meeting to deliver a judgment that would force Obasanjo to negotiate with Atiku.
Saharareporters learnt that Atiku is disposed to negotiating with Obasanjo and entering an agreement not to probe him in case he allowed to run in the elections since, according to sources involved, he is sure of victory at the polls.
He is said to have regaled Obasanjo’s team with tales of the mental instability of Alhaji Umar Yar’adua , who is said to suffer from mood swings, and also had a history of mental disorders in addition to a potentially deadly kidney disease that led to a medical emergency that almost ended his presidential run recently.
Apart from the Supreme Court case against the INEC, the public holidays were declared to save other PDP gubernatorial candidates whose cases were up for decision at various courts between Thursday and Friday, they include: Alao-Akala who faced disqualification due to a state panel indictment.
Ondo State governorship candidate, Dr. Agagu who was facing an ineligibility case filed against him by Ondo State indigenes over his indictment by Justice Nwazorta’s panel which indicted Olusegun Agagu for embezzling $3.2 at the Nigeria Airways.
Lagos state candidate, Musiliu Obanikoro, who faces ineligibility lawsuits by Lagos State AC for fraudulent declaration of age and presenting fake names, identities that doesn’t conform with his history as reported by Saharareporters earlier in the week.
There is also the cases of Emmanuel Andy Uba, PDP’s candidate in Anambra State whose case over certificate forgery was appealed by Greg Ikemefuna, and those cases of Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Ararume in Imo And Rivers States respectively are the major reason why the PDP leadership agreed with President Obasanjo to shut down public institutions for two days in order to stall the opposition.
Also in Abuja today, al the general managers of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) were called to an emergency meeting with Presidency officials where they have been warned not to report anything negative about the elections, in particular they were asked not to report any cases of violence, thuggery, death or injuries to persons during and immediately after of the elections, the National Television Authority (NTA) will also be attending a special meeting in this respect.
Soldiers have already been deployed by the government to intimidate voters before the Election Day. In Lagos, the Inspector General of Police recently redeployed a new commissioner of police to the state that was a week after an officer said to be unwilling to do a dirty job was removed.
The new commissioner, Mr. Bashir Azeez was the former commissioner of police in Ekiti State under Governor Fayose (now a fugitive from law) who was instrumental to the perpetration of violence against the opposition while Mr. Fayose maintained a killer squad in the state. Mr. Omotunde Omojola was killed under Mr. Bashir Azeez’s watch as the commissioner of police in Ekiti State.
He was redeployed to the police headquarters on administrative duties until last week when he was pulled out to come to Lagos apparently to help rig the elections in a state where the president’s party faces serious opposition.