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Tag: Atiku Abubakar

  • Support Buhari to build a stronger country – Lawmaker tells Atiku

    Chairman of the public accounts (state) committee of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Moshood Oshun, has admonished Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other opponents of President Muhammadu Buhari to see how they can support the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next four years to build a stronger nation.

    Oshun, who reacted to President Buhari’s victory at the polls as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noted that Nigeria has several challenges before it adding that it is the time for leaders and followers to unite ahead of the next four years.

    Noting that Buhari has remained magnanimous in victory, Oshun urged the opposition to congratulate the winner of the election and support the move to build a Nigeria of everyone’s dream.

    He congratulated the president and the APC for the victory, describing it as well deserved from the citizens who are passionate to see that their country is no longer governed by alleged thieves in government.

    The lawmaker commended the co-chairman of the Buhari campaign council, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the various groups who championed the battle for the success of the APC at the polls.

    Read Also: Election results: Why Atiku must go to court – PDP

    Oshun also expressed optimism that the next four years would make better impacts on the lives of Nigerians arguing that the government would simply continue from where it would end the current dispensation.

    “We are going to witness a better four years and my admonition to Nigerians is for us all to unite and support the government. Let’s not distract the administration. I am sure that with our support, we would end the next four years meeting set targets.

    “Currently, the government has made several marks on various sectors of the country including agriculture and physical infrastructures. It is, therefore, going to be a smooth continuation of already planned goals.

    “I want to comment Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and from him to every other person who played favourable roles in this election. Our party will be ever united to as the battle to rid the country of bad governance continues,” the lawmaker said.

  • ‘Cooperate with Buhari to build virile nation’

    Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Ekiti State chapter, has called on the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in Saturday’s poll to accept defeat and join hands with the winner.

    NSCIA said the opposition party should see the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari as a true decision of Nigerians, urging them to join hands with him to build a virile nation.

    The Islamic group said sustainable development could only be achieved when opposition parties criticize constructively.

    In a statement signed by its President, Alhaj Yakubu Sanni, the council congratulated President Buhari on his electoral victory, saying it was his integrity that earned him the electoral success.

    Read also: Senate: ‘How we dislodged Saraki, Ajimobi, Akpabio, Alasoadura, Sani’

    The group, which called on Nigerians to inculcate the virtue of integrity in all their dealing, urged the president to be magnanimous in victory.

    The NSCIA urged President Buhari to be relentless in the fight against corruption, focus more on the security of lives and property and put in place policies that would make life worth living for an average citizen.

  • Respect Nigerians’ verdict, group tells Atiku

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has told the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to respect the verdict of Nigerians, as well as the position of international observers on the just-concluded presidential election.

    Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke, said in a statement made available to The Nation in Abuja that virtually all the countries and international bodies that sent representatives to observe the elections are convinced that the results of the elections reflect the wishes of majority of the Nigerian electorate.

    The group said all indications point to a President Muhammadu Buhari win, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), recalling “that Atiku Abubakar tweeted just after addressing the media recently that the position of many international observers corroborated his view that the election was a sham.

    “But Nigerians know by now that this is a fallacy as many international observers, including reputable locals, have released preliminary reports that are consistent with the outcome of the electoral process”.

    The pro-Buhari group said nothing better captured the mindset of the International community on the elections than the position of the UK Minister of State for Africa, Harriet Baldwin.

    “We at BMO are satisfied that in the midst of PDP’s efforts to discredit the process, Britain, which had its representatives on ground as observers before and after the election, is emphatic that the result declared by the Nigerian electoral commission is consistent with the result obtained through the civil society Parallel Vote Tabulation process.

    “If this is not an endorsement of the process based on international best practices, we wonder what it is, especially at a time the opposition is fighting tooth and nail to smear the process as the ‘worst in thirty years.’”

    The group also pointed at the position of a reputable observer group, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa which released a report that tallied with INEC’s result of the Presidential election.

  • Buhari would have received more northern votes, says Marafa

    President Muhammadu Buhari should have received more votes from northern states in the February 23rd poll but for insurgency and insecurity, Senator Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central) has stated.

    He also welcomed the decision of presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar to go to court to challenge the result.

    He spoke on Friday with State House Correspondents after a parley with President.

    On criticisms that have trailed votes from the north, Senator Marafa said: “If you ask me I will tell you that I am not even pleased with the votes that came from my state because I believe we could have done much more.

    “We have 1.4million registered voters and we recorded only about 650,000 votes, so what is the big deal about it?

    “If you look at all the states, I think the overall performance is below 60 percent. African leaders congratulate Buhari on his re-election in most of the states.

    “We have more than 80 million registered voters and out of that figures how many voted?

    “In fact we are supposed to lament because the situation was supposed to be much more than that.

    “Nigerians are supposed to be more politically aware and they are supposed to turnout in their numbers to vote much more than we have seen. So I don’t see anything unusual about that.”

    On the March 9 governorship election, he said: “Well, the most important thing now is that we have finished the presidential election which a lot of people are united on the candidacy of president Muhammadu Buhari but when it comes to the governorship election, there are a lot of disparities across the states which the President himself has reckoned by actions.

    Read also: No deal with Peace Committee to halt legal action, says PDP

    “So I will urge people to vote for people they trust that can protect their lives and properties, people that will bring about prosperity to them.

    “The President has shown that he is a great democrat and we have seen what he did in Ogun State. We have seen what he did in Imo State and so on and so forth.

    “This is to tell you that the president is ushering a new brand of democracy without bitterness. People should be allowed to choose.”

  • No deal with Peace Committee to halt legal action, says PDP

    The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed media reports indicating that the National Peace Committee (NPC) has prevailed on the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar not to challenge the outcome of the February 23 presidential election in court.

    Briefing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said although Atiku and some chieftains of the party met with the leaders of the NPC on Thursday, no conditions were given regarding the decision of the PDP to seek redress in court.

    According to the party chair, the PDP briefed the NPC leaders on the party’s grievances in the just concluded presidential election and also its decision to seek legal redress.

    He further stated that the NPC team comprising Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd); Bishop Mathew Kukah and Cardinal John Onayeikan did not persuade the aggrieved PDP leaders to drop the court option.

    Secondus said: “When they came, they met with us and they requested us to please state our grievances. There was no condition.

    “Initially, we were not to talk with them because a decision had been taken to go to court. But because of the personalities involved, we said ok, let’s just talk.

    “There were no conditions and there was no request of any condition. We made it clear that unless the injustices are addressed, there is no room for peace.

    “It is only when you address the injustice that you can now sit down for peace.

    “So, whatever interpretation that was done by anybody, let it be clear to everybody that we did not give conditions, they did not request for conditions.

    “It was like, look, state what really happened in the election and we told them how the military took over the election and conducted the election in favour of the APC with INEC collusion”.

    The party chair deplored what he described as voter suppression in states considered the strongholds of the PDP, alleging that soldiers were deployed to harass, intimidate and arrest voters and party supporters in such states,

    He listed Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, and Cross Rivers as worst affected states in the alleged military siege, adding the threat by the Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State that foreign observers would go back to their country in body bags was extended to Nigerians on during the election.

    Secondus said: “As at the last count, over 50 Nigerians have lost their lives last Saturday, most of them from the South South region where a division of the army with their commander were turned on the people on the Election Day.

    “For a regime that appears comfortable with blood, the deaths they recorded during their campaigns were not enough, as after their contrived ballot box victory and stolen mandate, they still hired some hoodlums and sent them to the streets to go and kill themselves.

    “You can see that the nation has been in sorrowful mood for our democracy that was dragged down last Saturday, four years after the world stood up for Nigeria for not only conducting a flawless election, in addition to having a seamless transition to an opposition party.

    “But we all are seeing the direct beneficiary of that rare democratic disposition, General Muhammadu Buhari, using the military to rob Nigerians of their right to choose leaders of their choice”.

    The party chair queried the higher voter turnout in insurgency-ravaged states like Borno and Yobe above the 2015 figures, whereas states like Rivers and others in the South-south zone recorded lower voter turnout in the last election than they did in 2015.

    Read also: Ndidi, Iheanacho to get Kolo Toure touch at Leicester

    He said: “The clear effect of militarising the election, particularly in the South South and South East in addition to the killing of innocent electorate, was the obvious suppression of voters who were either scared out or chased away.

    “Even by INEC own record, voter turnout in last Saturday’s election fell to about 36 percent from 44 percent that it was in 2015.

    “The military were dragged into the election to suppress and scare away voters and facilitate rigging.

    “That is how you hear ridiculously that war torn Borno and Yobe states recorded higher percentage in voter turnout than some states in the South South geo- political zone.

    “Shamelessly, they have again started mobilizing to use the same military to forcefully take over for APC two PDP states in the South South and one state in the South East.”

  • Oshiomhole to Atiku: we’ll meet you in court

    APC chair can’t tell Nigerians who is electable, says PDP

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole said yesterday that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was destined never to be President.

    He told the PDP candidate in last Saturday’s election that the governing party was prepared to meet him in court.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja on the outcome of the Presidential and National Assembly elections and the decision of the PDP candidate to reject the outcome of the election, Oshiomhole said Atiku was desperate to be President and has been jumping from one party to the other to actualise his ambition.

    He said it smacked of arrogance for the former Vice President to believe that the destiny of Nigerians is tied to his being President, stressing that Atiku and his party were never committed to the peace accord as they believe that the election was free and fair only if they won.

    Oshiomhole said: “I think it is arrogance for Atiku to think that our future is tied to his presidency. Atiku is destined never to be President of Nigeria and I ask you to review his character. Leadership is about character.

    “Atiku’s desperation is so obvious. He is so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss, Obasanjo. He decamped to join ACN and we offered him the ticket and he lost the election and returned to PDP. He contested again and lost the nomination and because he has only his interest at heart, he decamped again from PDP. He joined us in Lagos and rolled out the dollars, but we voted for Buhari as our candidate. He knew that he cannot defeat Buhari in the primary and went back to the PDP.

    “Do you think that such a political rolling stone, does he think that Nigerians are so insincere as to think that a man who is not stable and whose interest is about himself will be a possible candidate to be elected?

    “What makes him have that sense of entitlement that he must be President of Nigeria? You cannot deny anyone the right to dispute the outcome of an election, however, free, fair. So, we hope and we are looking forward to meeting Atiku Abubakar in court. We might also choose to also cross petition because there were many areas we can dispute. In Adamawa State, he had already lost the election before he did some magic that gave him that narrow victory in Adamawa State.”

    Oshiomhole said the turnout of voters in the Northeast, especially in Borno State, was a reflection of the substantial peace that has returned to the area, adding that if the former Vice President does not know about that, it could be because he does not go home regularly.

    Accusing Atiku of not being committed to the peace accord, Oshiomhole said: “When the National Peace Committee invited political parties to commit themselves to peace and to pledge to accepting the outcome of the results, you will recall that the PDP and their candidate were absent at the first meeting.

    “Following public outcry and pressure from their friends, he reluctantly went  to sign the peace accord. So, from day one, Atiku made up his mind that unless he wins, the election is not free and fair and that it will only be free and fair if he is returned as the winner. Then, we ask the question, what is the value of the peace accord?

    Oshiomhole congratulated Nigerians for defending democracy and for celebrating democracy. He said: “We are proud as a people that all those who thought that last Saturday was going to be a war have realised that election is not another word for war. It is a day to celebrate democracy and the only day in democracy in which everybody is equal.

    “I am happy that Nigerians have spoken and they did every thing to maintain the peace, inspite of the fact that some elements conducted themselves in such a way that  led to the loss of lives of some of our countrymen.

    “I believe that government must do everything possible to identify those behind those killings and bring them to justice. Each time hoodlums and ballot box snatchers maim and kill and try to destablise the will of the Nigerian people and they go away without being prosecuted, the culture of impunity is strengthened and the fear for the rule of law is weakened.

    “I believe that now that the President has been declared winner, he has a duty to call on the Inspector-General of Police and indeed all the security agencies to identify all those behind these killings. No Nigerian deserves to die because he wanted to go and vote.

    “Yesterday, the PDP candidate who lost and who was a signatory to the peace accord and who went into this race knowing fully well that Nigerians can not possibly elect two Presidents because only one President will emerge, having suffered defeat which I believe he deserved, rejected the results, adducing very laughable arguments as basis for his decisions.

    “I have found out that in this country, when you recycle lies, people begin to think there is truth in it. The conventional wisdom is that there is no smoke without fire. But in Nigerian politics, there can be huge smoke and yet, there is no fire. It is not about whether this election was perfect, but whether it was substantially free and fair and whether it represents the will of the Nigerian people. I am convinced that this election reflects the will of the Nigerian people.

    “Atiku spoke about what he called statistical impossibility and also about the two zones where he is strongest and that votes in those areas were smaller and the margin of victory also small. In 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari got fewer votes than he got in 2015 and from INEC figures, we secured 15.2 million votes. So, when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar talks about statistical impossibilities, I don’t want to call him a poor student of history, but invite you to look at the figures of registered new voters.

    “If Atiku had taken time to review the performance of his political party over the years and compare them to that of President Buhari over the same period, he wold have understood and be clearer. To suggest that votes were suppressed in the Southsouth and the Southeast is not to be able to appreciate what the resort to card readers have done to election riggers.

    “When we conducted an isolated election in Anambra State, no governor secured 400,000 votes and any one who is familiar with the realities of Rivers State know that if you conduct a free and fair election and you deny periwinkles the opportunity to come out and vote, it is impossible for them to get up to 500,000 votes. Yet, you had situations where you had 99 percent of voters turning out to vote in Rivers State before the advent of the card reader.

    “Rather than Atiku thinking that rigging has come to stay and could not understand why the numbers can’t add up in the absence of massive rigging, he should be reminded that the essence of the collective effort that has been made and the intervention of genuine friends of Nigeria has been to try to improve the electoral process, such that rigging can be eliminated or reduced to tolerable level.”

    Oshiomhole said the APC had petitioned INEC on how it allegedly rigged out in Akwa Ibom State. “It is interesting that it is the PDP that is complaining about rigging in Akwa Ibom State. How do you explain that INEC cancelled so many units in several states in order to be able to declare PDP candidates winners. That was how Senator Akpabio was rigged out in Akwa Ibom State,” the party chief said.

    “Atiku also alleged that the economy lost N85 billion on hearing that President Buhari won the election. That is twisting the facts. When Atiku start talking about his irrevocable commitment to privatise and sell NNPC, many people wondered aloud whether he has not already collected deposit, especially when he says even if he was going to die.

    “Was he going to rule Nigeria against our will because democracy does not end at voting. Citizens must hold their leaders accountable for their policy choices. So, if those depositors see that it will not be business as usual and decided to take their flight, we don’t even want them to come back. Nigeria needs genuine investors who have faith in our country with long term interest,” Oshiomhole said.

     

  • Peace Panel meets Atiku

    MEMBERS of the Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee (NPC) yesterday held talks with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

    Other members of the Committee with the former Head of State at the meeting included the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Matthew Kukah, Archbishop of Abuja Diocese John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Rev. Fr Atta Barkindo of the NPC Secretariat.

    The meeting, which was held behind closed door, was convened following Atiku’s decision to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the tribunal.

    Read also: Oshiomhole to Atiku: we’ll meet you in court

    Speaking shortly after the meeting, Gen. Abubakar said the mission of committee was to douse the tension in the aftermath of the presidential election.

    Also at the meeting were PDP leaders, including Atiku’s running mate Peter Obi; Senate President Bukola Saraki; PDP Chairman Uche Secondus and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.

  • Observers adjudge polls in Kano free and fair

    The Coalition of INEC Accredited Domestic Election Observers in Kano state has described the presidential and National Assembly election in Kano as free, fair, calm and peaceful, urging the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and other losers on the exercise to accept defeat and join hands with the winners to build the nation.

    Addressing journalists at the Kano Press Center, the Team Leader of the Group, Comrade Friday Maduka, commended INEC for providing electoral materials in due time, just as he hailed the massive turnout of voters during the elections across the state.

    “Our team commends the electoral umpire, INEC, for its wonderful preparations in providing all the needed logistics and materials for the election.

    Read Also: Observers hail INEC, security agencies in Kano

    “The security agents are hereby applauded for providing a secured and peaceful environment for the election. We appreciate the people of Kano state for their proper conduct during and after the election, especially, for showing maturity and putting away the stings of violence,” he added.

    Maduka further stated that, “While advising the winners should be magnanimous in victory by running an all-inclusive government for the rapid development of the state in particular and the nation at large, we urge the losers to accept it in good faith.”

     

  • Buhari’s victory: Inter-faith clerics commence praise and worship in Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s swashbuckling victory at the presidential election is already bridging the religious divide among Nigerians.
    This was evident as Christian and Islamic leaders, under the aegis of Inter-faith clerics, joined forces to celebrate the president’s overwhelming triumph.
    Mr Buhari was returned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of main challenger Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    In recognition of this remarkable feat, several renowned religious heads, Monday, led thousands of their followers to the Unity Fountain in Abuja to begin a three-day praise and worship program.
    Majority of these clerics  similarly organized a 40-day prayer and fast for the president’s re-election.
    Sheik Usman Mohammed, co- Chairman, NIFROP, in his remark revealed that Mr Buhari is God’s choice, calling on Nigerians to back the president with their prayers.
    “ I warmly welcome you all faithful to this thanksgiving service dedicated to the victory of president Muhammadu Buhari at the recently conducted presidential elections.
    “ As you all might know, we as a group converged at this same venue to pray in unity for 40 days for the success of the president at the elections and also for God to grant him good health throughout the electioneering campaigns.
    “ I recall that after the 40 days’ prayers, we solicited the support of Nigerians for President Muhammadu Buhari as he is God sent to deliver the country from evil.
    “ We also prayed that those with intent to cause trouble to be put to shame and their evil intentions comes to nuts. And we thank the Almighty God for his mercies upon us as a country and as a people.
    “ Brethren, the elections have come and gone, and Nigeria is still standing as one united and robust country. The elections have come and gone, and it is evident that the forces of darkness have all been defeated by the almighty God, the ruler of humanity.
    “ We are gathered here to express our gratitude to the Almighty Allah for his show of love for Nigeria, and also for putting the enemies of Nigeria to shame through the outcome of the presidential elections.
    “ My dear brothers and sisters, now that we have a President with a new mandate of 4 years, it, therefore, behoves on us not to relent on our prayers for a peaceful and successful tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari as he pilots the affairs of the country to greater success.
    “ We also have to pray for Allah the Most Merciful to grant him good health as he governs the country for the next four years. Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a reward therefrom, and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a burden therefrom. And ever is Allah, over all things, a Keeper.
    “ We must come together in this period to lend our support to him as always to succeed for he needs our prayers and support.
    “ We also call on all well-meaning Nigerians regardless of their political inclinations, religion or ethnicity to extend their support to President Muhammadu Buhari for Almighty Allah has destined him that he would lead Nigeria to the promised land.
    ” My brothers and sisters, we all know “ that God indeed loves Nigeria for giving us this rare breed human in President Muhammadu Buhari. A man that exudes integrity and selflessness. A man that God has chosen to lead the people of Nigeria to the promised land. A man whose heart is so transparent.
    “ My brothers and sisters, we are indeed grateful to Almighty Allah for the great things he has done for us, and that is why we are gathered here to show appreciation and gratitude.
    “ We must know that we are duty bound to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari from our various places of worship when we leave here. This is a task mandated by Almighty Allah on us to ensure that he, President Muhammadu Buhari succeeds.”

     

  • Buhari conducted freest election since 1951, Esogban of Benin

    The Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri, has described last Saturday presidential election has the freest and fairest election conducted in the country since 1957.

    Chief Edebiri who called on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and extend a hand of fellowship said he started voting in the country since 1951.

    Edebiri said President Buhari should be praised for living up to his promise to the world that there would be no interference in the electoral process.

    He challenged President Buhari to be firm in the fight against corruption in his second term.

    Edebiri said Buhari’s coming in 2015 saved Nigerian from total collapse otherwise many Nigerians would have gone on exile.

    He said God delivered Nigeria from the hands of those who wants to use the  judiciary  to scuttle the electoral process.

    Read Also:  Breaking: Buhari picks up Certificate of Return

    His words,  “I started voting in December 1951 and that is exactly 68 years ago. Since I started voting in 1951, till date, I have not failed to vote in any election including that which was conducted by Babangida in June 12 1993, there was none of these elections that has been as free as the one we held on the 23rd.

    “I say that from my own personal knowledge, this is not history that you read from book, this is something in which I participated, there was none of these elections that was as transparent, free and fair as the one we have just held so to that extent, Muhammadu Buhari should be praised.

    “We also found that Nigeria has gotten respect from all parts of the world because of Buhari, this is a fact that no one can deny. Because of his anti-corruption stand, he commands global respect for Nigeria and you will find out that throughout the campaigns, it was only Buhari who talked about fighting corruption no other candidate made it a point that he will fight corruption in Nigeria but other people particularly his major challenger said if he succeeded he will sell off NNPC and other government establishments”