As
the presidential elections edge closer, the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party’s (PDP) desperation for power is becoming even more
glaring.
It is this utter desperation that
triggered the PDP and its candidate Atiku Abubakar into hiring Russian
hackers to compromise the polls.
With the
reported alliance gaining grounds last week, the Coalition for Nigeria
(CN) has echoed that it is no mere idle talk neither is it some sort of
conspiracy theory.
The group made this known in a press statement on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to Mr Dipo Samuel, its Secretary General, Mr Atiku has already released funds to facilitate his secret mission.
“When
the then PDP aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, hired the United States firm and
lobbyist, Brian Ballard to work for his emergence, we expressed
concerns as to why the same man that helped US President Donald Trump to
engage Russians in meddling with US elections has been brought into
Nigeria. It is now glaring that Brain Ballard is not here to consult and
deliver transparent strategy. Ballard was engaged purely to secure the
services of Russian hackers to meddle in the electoral process, hack
INEC, rig the elections in favour of the PDP and ply citizens with
dangerous propaganda.
“As part of Ballard’s
strategies being implemented, we further gathered that certain internal
changes have been made at INEC to strategically position certain
officials in posts that will enable them compromise that organization’s
cyber security. These officials are known to be PDP sympathizers. Their
brief is to make sure that the security upgrades that will ward off
attempts to hack the Commission’s servers are not implemented. The plan
is for them to feign administrative lapses and inefficiency that will
ensure such patches are not addressed.
“We
understand that Ballard’s contract is for a period of one year when the
elections were a mere months away at the time he was engaged. The reason
is that he is meant to stay on to coordinate a hate campaign against
the government after the PDP has lost the election. This is really
worrisome because such damaging campaign played a critical role in
depressing Nigeria’s economy by discouraging investors’ interest in
Nigeria. The PDP is again geared to repeat the same attack on the
viability of the country.
“Coalition for
Nigeria is therefore drawing the world’s attention to the rat infested
firewood that the PDP with its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar has brought home by way of commissioning Russian agents to
collapse democracy in Nigeria. We believe the whole world should be
worried and seriously so:
“When the possibility
of Russia’s meddling in the US Elections was first raised it was
dismissed as mere suspicion by many while others placed such allegation
in the realm of fiction. The picture is clearer today and there has been
conclusive proofs that Russia did meddle in the process to make Donald
Trump win to emerge president. What is still unfolding is the extent of
damage done to the US electoral and political process as the fallouts
from the interference still reverberate in that country. It has produced
outcomes that are directly threatening confidence in the process while
questions are seriously being asked about how to get out of the bind the
incident has plunged the country into.
CAN, however, urged INEC to take some measures.
“
INEC must immediately take steps to guarantee the integrity of its
servers and protect them from intrusions and cyber-attacks. The
electoral body must also vet afresh all those that occupy sensitive
positions and senior officials with decision making capacity. Once it
has done the needful, INEC must then brief Nigerians to reassure
citizens that it will not allow Russia repeat the stunt it pulled in the
United States here in Nigeria.
“The federal
government must immediately step up diplomatic efforts to get assurances
from Russia that it will not, as a nation, interfere in the conduct of
Nigeria’s elections while also warning its nationals against taking
briefs that could jeopardize relations with Nigeria. Government must
also work with other countries to put the pressure on Russia.
“The
Nigerian Immigration Service in conjunction with the Department of
State Service (DSS) should intensify the screening of aliens arriving
the country to ensure that free passage is not given to potential
hackers to come and do damage here. The screening should take into
account aliens that might have already set up in the country before this
discovery was made and those from countries that are proxies from
Russia.
“The PDP should call off its brief to
sabotage the elections and apologise to Nigerians. Where the party
continues to work on rigging the elections, INEC should wake up to its
responsibility and invoke the necessary clauses in the Electoral Act and
INEC Act.
“ We urge Nigerians to unite across
party lines and condemn this evil plot. They should tell PDP and Atiku
in clear terms that they have crossed the line in the matter of hiring
foreigners to destroy Nigeria. It beats logic that a party can be
desperate enough about winning elections that it is prepared to govern a
graveyard nation. “
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