The exposure of secret recruitment of corps members into a club with the objective of fostering the aspirations of the Niger state PDP governorship candidate, Umar Nasko, in the forthcoming election has cast doubts on the neutrality of NYSC in delivering credible and acceptable results in the election. The All Progressives Congress (APC) has blown the whistle against the use of biased corps members as INEC ad-hoc staff in the 2015 general election in Niger state. AIDELOJE OJO reports
APC petitions INEC over corps members alliance with PDP in Niger
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger state did not mince words in a three paragraph stern warning to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against the use of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as presiding or polling clerks in the forth coming election in the state. A flip through the petition dated 28th January 2015 shows the anger of the opposition party against Corp members who had constituted themselves into a club in the name of “Umar Nasko NYSC Club”, claiming to work in alliance with the governorship candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election, an alliance capable of undermining the credibility of the elections.
The substance of the alliance
Blueprint checks revealed that recruitment leaflets issued by the club were in public circulation in all crannies of the state. One of the leaflets made available to our correspondent in Minna read in parts, “we are an association of Corpers who share the common interest of a Niger state of tomorrow with better amenities, more literate and educational value, innovation, Youth empowerment and more. We believe that Umar Nasko is able and can do it. We hereby enlist to make this vision a reality”. The leaflet was also accompanied by what the club called sign up form and some contact phone numbers and addresses.
APC concern over the club
Apparently irked by the contents of the leaflets which also carry the logo of NYSC and the photograph of the PDP governorship candidate, Umar Nasko, the APC state financial secretary Daniel Sunday Kolo acting on behalf of the state Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Imam, fired the petition to INEC stating that:
“Reports reaching our office is that the Umar Nasko Campaign Team and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Niger state are in alliance with the NYSC to rig the forthcoming election in Niger state”.
“This petition is necessitated due to the fact that INEC has concluded arrangement to use the NYSC corp members as ad-hoc staff in the election. A photo copy of the form designed by this group to defraud or rig the election is hereby attached so that INEC will be aware and warn INEC ad-hoc staff as they go to the field any attempt to rig the forthcoming election in favour of the PDP through the use of the NYSC Corps members shall be strictly resisted”.
Answer this query, INEC tells NYSC
Blueprint checks revealed that once the petition hit INEC office in Niger state, it was quickly forwarded to the state coordinator of NYSC, Mr. Ehonda-adi Yusuf in view of the vital role of corps members in the conduct of the election and the need for them to be neutral. Yusuf was said to have travelled out of minna when our correspondent followed up the petition to the Niger state NYSC secretariat.
However his Personal Assistance, Bala confirmed receipt of the petition from INEC but declined further comment insisting that his boss was in better position to speak on the matter. However a management staff of the NYSC who spoke off the records described the development as very serious explaining that underground probe was on to fish out the corps members involved. He said the NYSC authority will not compromise its integrity in the conduct of credible, free and fair elections by the action of dissident corps members in haste to make money.
He stated the risk involved in the corps members alliance with a particular candidate in the election recalling that similar accusations led to the killing of corps members in the 2011 elections, adding that “we will not allow such scenario in Niger state hence the need to act fast and stop the development. He however cautioned that those behind the Umar Nasko NYSC club might not be serving corps members but those that had finished service over the years without conceding the fact of the need to flush such rotten eggs from the NYSC before they cause havoc.
PDP recruiting corps members to rig election – APC
Speaking in an interview, the Niger state publicity secretary of APC, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa said the party was convinced that the corps members will be used as rigging tools by INEC and the PDP in the election. “The NYSC has been existing over the years, this government has been there over the year and it is just now that Umar Nasko wants to contest for the governorship that they are going into partnership and Umar Nasko found it necessary to form the NYSC club.
He wants to use the corpers to rig the election and manipulate results because INEC is going to use the corpers . They want to use the corpers to manipulate the results. We will not allow this plan to work for PDP and we want the NYSC authority to take note and act immediately”, he said.
He accused the state PDP of pushing money to the corps members in the name of club. He dismissed the argument that masterminds of the club might be ex-corps members explaining that it would be dangerous impersonation that should not be tolerated by the NYSC authority.
“If they are not serving members of NYSC, the question is what is the authority concerned doing about it? Before they realised it damages would be done to the organisation which has been saddled with the responsibility of assisting INEC in the conduct of election over the years. We are calling on the authority of NYSC to be vigilant and to warn the young boys and girls to stop embarking on such deals. The NYSC should invite the police to arrest those using its reputable name in criminal tendencies”, he said,
It is a smear campaign, says Nasko
However the PDP governorship candidate, Umar Nasko has distance his campaign organisation from the NYSC club explaining that it was a smear campaign against his him by the opposition.
The director of media of the Umar Nasko governorship campaign organisation, Professor Mohammed Yahaya Kuta told our correspondent in Minna that the campaign team has nothing to do with the purported club adding that “whoever that is so gregarious that wants to use Nasko name to create something for himself or create opportunity for himself is doing it illegally.
He said that such club was not within the content of the focus of the organisation, adding that it was a campaign of calumny against the Niger state PDP governorship candidate. “I can tell you confidently that it has nothing to do with Nasko”, he said.
Why NYSC must act fast to arrest the situation
Political analysts are however worried that NYSC members could dabble into such venture in the face of tension soaked political environment without considering the inherent dangers.
While praying for peaceful election this month it is imperative for the NYSC authority not to compromise its integrity or become vulnerable to public suspicion over the partisanship of corps members in the conduct of credible, free and fair polls.