The party alerted Nigerians on the existence of a secret memo originating from the Presidency to all commanders of divisions and battalions of the Nigerian Army summoning them to a three-day strategy meeting, which commenced yesterday in Kaduna on how to use soldiers to intimidate voters in opposition-controlled states to rig the election in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan.
APC also said that top military commanders, comprising service chiefs are in concert with the 'cabal in government' to scuttle the general election.
APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, addressing a press conference in Abuja, warned that democracy is in a grave danger and that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is leaving nothing to chance in ensuring that it returns to power.
He said: "The contradictions we have pointed out in this briefing represent a clear and present danger to our democracy.
It is clear that this is a surreptitious but badly disguised attempt to subvert the will of the people. But we must assure Nigerians and friends all over the world that the power of the people is greater than the people in power. These too shall pass and we shall overcome."
Oyegun, who was surrounded by top party leaders, state governors and some members of the National Working Committee, NWC, said that the recent revelations about the role of the military in Ekiti elections is demonstrable proof of how far President Jonathan's government will go to compromise the military as an institution.
"Could it be that when the Service Chiefs said they would not have enough personnel to provide security for the elections, what they are actually saying is that they would not have enough soldiers to intimidate voters in favour of the ruling party if the elections had proceeded as scheduled?
"The greatest threat to our democracy today is the way the ruling party has compromised the leadership of the Nigerian military to serve the personal agenda of President Jonathan. This is a dangerous game.
"A recent court judgment in Sokoto clearly ruled that the military had no role in the electoral process. What happened with this postponement is that Service Chiefs simply vetoed a democratic process on the directive of President Jonathan. We know what politicisation is doing to our once proud military institution," he said.
According to him, never in the history of Nigeria had a Federal Government and the President so wantonly mobilised ethnic and religious sentiments to divide the people against themselves for selfish political reasons.
"By now, everyone is aware how a close confidant of President Jonathan Chief Edwin Clark, called for the sack and arrest of the Chairman of the INEC because, according to him, the INEC Chairman is working for the interest of the North. He said this under the aegis of a Southern Nigerian People's Assembly.
"We are also aware of how the Vice President of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo unfortunately invoked religious sentiment to campaign for his party in Niger State.
"The level of ethnic and religious baiting that we are currently witnessing is unprecedented in the political history of Nigeria.
"The road to Rwanda and other countries that have suffered tragic ethno religious conflicts is not far from what PDP is currently invoking on our country.
"We owe it a duty to stress the point that under our watch, Nigerians, regardless of their ethnic origin or religious disposition would be free to operate without let or hindrance.
"Only few days ago, the Director of National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, claimed that government has uncovered a plan by Boko Haram to bomb polling centres without providing a single shred of evidence.
"The following day, President Jonathan declared in a church in Lagos that Boko Haram has planned to bomb the entire country.
"We see this as deliberate scare-mongering to discourage Nigerians from coming out to exercise their democratic right to vote. "This is quite unfortunate. The President that should be protecting the people and assuring them of their safety is now the one scaring them," he added.
Oyegun expressed fear over the possibility of a constitutional crisis in the country. He said: "It is important to note that the Service Chiefs' letter to INEC demanded postponement for 'at least' 6 weeks.
This, we must note, is a booby trap. Embedded in that phrase 'at least' is a window to push for another postponement.
"It is clear however, that any further postponement can only lead to a constitutional crisis. The constitution demands at least 30 days before the handover date of May 29th.
"We have strong suspicions but hope this postponement is not part of an agenda to create a constitutional crisis in the country.
"We are just recently recovering from the crisis precipitated by the political crisis of 1993. We cannot afford another.
"We are all witnesses to the way INEC was intimidated into postponement of the elections despite repeated assurances of its readiness.
"We are aware of plans for worse intimidation in the days ahead. We are aware of plans to intimidate and orchestrate arrest of our leaders across the country on frivolous grounds.
"We are now aware of how PDP used intimidation and arrest to rig the last governorship election in Ekiti State.
"We are aware that this is the plan of the PDP. But we have no doubt that Nigerians will stand up to this. We have no doubt that the international community is watching."
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