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Tag: Atiku Abubakar

  • South East itching towards presidency, says Atiku

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, says the south-east geopolitical zone is itching towards the presidency by supporting the party.

    Abubakar disclosed this on Friday in Enugu during the presidential campaign tour of the party.

    He said that PDP had never disappointed the people of the region, adding that they would realise the ambition by supporting his aspiration.

    He said that it would take a long time for the region to have such an opportunity if they failed to support him.

    “You are itching towards the presidency now that your son is my running mate. Vote for the PDP because it has never failed you,” Atiku said.

    The National Chairman of the party, Mr Uche Secondus, said that the rumour of the party ceding 25 per cent of votes cast in the presidential election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not true.

    Secondus said that the mammoth crowd that came to welcome Atiku was a clear testimony that the state belonged to PDP.

    He called on members of the party to be vigilant during the polls to ensure that votes from the region was not tampered with.

    The Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, said that the PDP campaign was an opportunity for the people of the area to rededicate themselves to the party.

    “This is daybreak for us and we are committed to the PDP. They gave us everything in the past and this is time to regain them,” he said.

    Ekweremadu urged the people to return all PDP candidates.

    The Director-General of the PDP Campaign Organisation, Dr Bukola Saraki, said that the state would support Atiku.

    Saraki said that there was no more rumour of compromise by the leadership of the party in the state.

    “This crowd we are seeing is a sign of commitment. There are no more rumour mongers around because Enugu belongs to Atiku,” Saraki said.

    In a speech, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State said that residents of the state had always voted for the party in previous elections and would continue along that line. (NAN)

  • 2019: Public schools shut as Atiku campaigns in Enugu

    Public primary and secondary schools in Enugu were shut on Friday, when the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar stormed the state for the Feb. 16 presidential election campaign.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that students of the various public secondary schools were seen going home as early as 10 a.m. as a result of the campaign visit by Atiku’s train.

    One of the students, who wanted anonymity told NAN that his teacher told him and others in the class to go home because of Atiku’s visit.

    It was the same situation in other public schools visited by NAN education correspondent in Enugu town.

    The students, however, said they were not mandated to attend the campaign rally holding at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.

    Meanwhile, some parents in the state have faulted the decision to send students home because of a political campaign rally.

    Read Also: Presidential campaign: Heavy security as Atiku storms Abakaliki

    Mr Francis Ogbu, said it was wrong to have suspended academic activities due to an individual’s political aspiration.

    Ogbu said that under-age students needed not to be dragged into politics.

    Mrs Uzoamaka Onukwuburi also in her comments, wondered what might have informed the closure of public schools before the usual time.

    Onukwuburi said that she could not understand why politics had degenerated to the level of suspending academic activities due to a campaign rally.

    The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze, could not be contacted on phone for comments.

  • Presidential campaign: Heavy security as Atiku storms Abakaliki

    Security have been beefed up in some parts of Ebonyi State Capital, Abakaliki following campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that major roads leading to the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium were blocked to traffic while vehicles were diverted to other convenient routes.

    NAN also reports that all the markets in the city were closed for business as the people trooped in their numbers to the stadium for the rally.

    NAN observed that the10,000 capacity stadium was already filled to the brim as at 8 am by the PDP faithful drawn from the 13 Local government areas of the state.

    Mr Emmanuel Uzor, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Dave Umahi told NAN that Ebonyi as PDP state is fully `Atikulated’ adding that the state was ready for him.

    “We are ready for the PDP presidential candidate. The turnout is tremendous and unprecedented. Ebonyi will give him 1.4 million votes during the February 16 presidential election.

    “Atiku is our own and the government has made full arrangements for the campaign rally,” he said.

    Uzor announced a total victory for the PDP at the national level.

    A member of `Friends of Atiku’ Ebonyi Chapter, Mr Chijioke Agwu, noted that the people of the state and the nation had confidence in the Atiku/Obi ticket.

    “We have no doubt that when he becomes the president, Nigeria will be a country all of us will be proud of.

    “In Ebonyi State everybody is PDP and Atiku Abubakar is our candidate. Already the Ohaneze Ndigbo the umbrella and apex socion-cultural organization in the South East has endorsed them.

    “We are happy to welcome them to Ebonyi and we use this opportunity to reassure them that the state is totally for them and will cast block vote come February 16,” he said.

  • Enemies of Nigeria behind ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protest to please political losers

    Following the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last presidential and national assembly elections, some persons have concluded plans to stage a protest under the theme Occupy Nigeria.
    According to Coalition for Defence Democracy in Nigeria, the paid miscreants have been mobilized by some politicians who are not pleased with the outcome of the polls to shutdown the nation.
    Addressing newsmen on Sunday, Okpokwu Ogenyi, who spoke on behalf of the BoT, claimed that the planned protest is being championed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
    His text below.
    Gentlemen of the press, since the announcement of the results for the presidential election held on Saturday February 23, 2019, those that lost in the election have been reacting to their losses. Some of these reactions have been by way of intellectual engagement in which the candidates and their supporters express their improved understanding of how democracy and political dynamics operate in the Nigerian context.
    The more sincere ones among them have admitted the near impossibility of unseating a performing president through the ballot hence the overwhelming win of President Muhammadu Buhari who won on the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket.
    Some losers have, however, been sore in defeat. They denounced the result with the worst choice of words possible. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar are in the forefront of this collection of aggrieved losers.
    What must be given to them however is that they have been creative enough to limit their bellicosity to inciting utterances and body language, which they possibly expect their supporters to decode and descend on the streets with violent protests.
    This development is the reason that the Coalition for Defence Democracy in Nigeria, CDDN, is not aligned with those that have been asking Atiku to call and congratulate President Buhari. There is no basis for that because it will amount to creating a situation where the loser in an election must validate the victor’s win.
    It is enough that the home nations of the international observers once misled by the PDP have sent their congratulatory messages to Nigeria and President Buhari. While Nigeria does not rely on their endorsement to validate its electoral processes, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, the African Union, scores of African countries and other friends of Nigeria have congratulated President Buhari, which they would not have done had the election failed to meet the minimum threshold for acceptability.
    The PDP is being backed by several ethnic jingoist organizations that present as socio-cultural organizations, religious bigots as well as pro-corruption groups and individuals.
    Like their client, these people have limited themselves to threats and incitement without actually backing their threat of violence and destabilization with actions. This restraint on the part of PDP and its supporting organizations has now been found to be a Trojan as they have outsourced their violent protests through a consultancy to “Occupy Nigeria”.
    “Occupy Nigeria”, a misappropriation of the slogan under which Nigerians resisted PDP misrule in 2012, is now being used by these protest consultants to threaten the peace of the country. The group that now goes by the name has threatened to shut down Abuja on Monday and what we have found out is that they plan to spread the protest to other cities if the Abuja legs proves successful.
    CDNN finds this attempt at using the result of the election to cause mayhem when the international community, including countries that were initially apprehensive of the conduct of the election, has accepted the outcome.
     We observed that Occupy Nigeria is now expressing disappointment in the endorsement of the polls by the international community when its clients where euphoric at the time these same foreign countries were harassing the Nigerian government on the basis of lies told against the administration of President.
    It has not been able to been able to present any compelling evidence to support why it is rejecting an election adjudged to be free, fair and credible by all stakeholders except the PDP and its lackey groups.
    We further observed that the demands that Occupy Nigeria is hinging its protests on bear uncanny similarities to the demands that Atiku and PDP allegedly presented to the National Peace Committee, which they have all denied anyway because they have seen that these requests are criminal in nature and intent.
    The protests planned by Occupy Nigeria are therefore provocative, irresponsible and an attempt to create conditions that will degrade security in the country while providing excuses for those earlier mobilized by Atiku to attempt a forceful takeover of the government.
    They represent a stubborn progression of Atiku and the PDP with their original plot to force their way into government even when they know they have been rejected by Nigerians.
    CDNN is therefore warning Occupy Nigeria to behave within acceptable parameters defined by Nigerian laws as any attempt to provoke crisis would be met with disproportionate citizens’ response. Other measures include laying bare the relationship that exists between it and PDP as well as Atiku.

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     If they persist on trying to destabilize the country we will expose to Nigerians the specific associates of Atiku that contacted them, phone calls and SMS logs, and details of financial transactions of the payment made to procure Occupy Nigeria’s services.
    Occupy Nigeria must take note that nobody has the monopoly of mischief and violence. It is receiving money to hold its protests but there are millions of Nigerians that will counter those violent outings on the streets out of patriotism and their love and appreciation for the leadership he is providing to the country.
    Any attempt to destabilize the peace of the nation will therefore be decisively rejected by Nigerians. Occupy Nigeria will fail worse that Boko Haram and other defunct terrorist groups that had attempted to destroy Nigeria.
    The practice in Nigeria is for anyone aggrieved by the outcome of elections should approach the Election Tribunals up to the Supreme Court to seek redress. If Occupy Nigeria is eager to be of use to the PDP they should then encourage Atiku to go to court and fight his case there especially now that the Judiciary is being purged of corrupt judges.
    Instead of holding questionable protests, Nigerians should task the organizers of this charade to come forward with workable initiatives to help President Buhari deliver on his promises to Nigerians. Part of the progress we should make as a nation is for the youths not to be misled by agents of destabilization that are bent on triggering copy-cat revolution in a country where it is least needed.

     

     

  • 2019 polls: HURIWA acting politicians’ script to incite violence in Nigeria, Coalition discloses

    The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution said it has unraveled a plot by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) to incite violence in Nigeria over the outcome of the 2019 general election.

    The coalition said HURIWA was only being used by some selfish politicians to cause anarchy in the country.

    The group made this revelation in a supplementary report on the February 23, 2019 presidential/national assembly elections.

    The Executive Director of the group, Maxwell Gowon, who presented the report on behalf of the group, said HURIWA, was attempting to use the outcome of the poll to reopen old ethnic crises that have no bearing with the matter under

    The report below:

    The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Human Rights and Conflict Resolution had in the aftermath of the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly (Senatorial/House of Representatives) Elections issued a report on the security situation during the elections. That report found that the security and military did a good job in ensuring that security situation did not significantly degenerate in spite of the threat of violence that preceded the election.

    The Coalition has further reviewed the prevailing situation in the aftermath of the declaration of the results for the elections. The findings are alarming as there are indications that some candidates that lost have been inciting their supporters to cause security breaches in their respective constituencies.

    Below are the findings from a Post-Result Announcement Assessment carried out by the Coalition:

    Candidates that lost in the elections have been publishing audio, pictures and videos to prove that there were incidences of vote tampering, intimidation of voters, destruction of ballot and other incidents that could be interpreted as capable of undermining the integrity of the polls. However, when extrapolated for geo-tagging it was found that these incidences were not localized to a specific part of the country. Further analysis of the multimedia content showed an even spread between the APC and PDP in terms of what political is being accused of responsibility for the infractions, which implies that neither party gained any advantage above the other from engaging in these acts.

    Several groups have issued statements that are aimed at undermining the credibility of the elections. These groups are affiliated with the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Their statement or stated position on the election results are exact replicas of PDP’s and Atiku’s statements rejecting the Presidential Election Results. This aligns with the warning earlier issued by some groups that people are being mobilized to reject and discredit the election results irrespective of the degree of transparency attained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

    There has been several pockets of violence in several parts of the country. Like the multimedia detailing infractions, these were also spread across geo-political zones and involved supporters across political lines.

    The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) is one of the groups that has openly identified as a recruit in the plot to use the election result to incite violence. HURIWA issued a statement with which it intended to create the impression of ethnic persecution with the election result. While it is on record that the main contenders in the presidential election are of the same ethnic stock, HURIWA is attempting to use the outcome of the poll to reopen old ethnic crises that have no bearing with the matter under discuss.

    Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP has reportedly made demands on the National Peace Committee (NPC). He is yet to deny or refute reports that he made these demands. What is worrisome about these demands is that they are underpinned by an inferred threat of violence, which his supporters are already mobilizing for. It is noteworthy that one of the demands is for the military not to have any role in the states’ elections due on March 9, which is an invitation to anarchy because the military played a critical role in discouraging intending ballot box snatchers.

    The threats of violence by PDP members are getting validation from some of their foreign partners that are issuing compromised reports about the elections. Atiku and the PDP are citing these questionable reports as basis for their supporters to reject the results, which these supporters have interpreted as a call to violent protests, even though Atiku had sought to insulate himself from liability by tepidly asking them to remain calm while stoking negative emotions in them with his assertions.

    The conduct of the elections might have been largely peaceful but a combined interplay of the situations we have identified present a tense outlook for security in the country especially since states’ elections are holding in a matter of days. There is credible threat of violence arising from PDP supporters who are being primed to attack others by a group like HURIWA.

    It is imperative that necessary actions are taken to identify areas where party supporters are likely to attempt unleashing violence and necessary steps taken to prevent this from happening since it will compromise March 9 elections.

    Politicians, especially Atiku Abubakar and his party should be prevailed upon to desist from making utterances that could be interpreted by their supporters to imply a directive for them to attack those in other political parties.

    The National Peace Committee must rise up to the task of holding signatories to the peace accord accountable to maintaining the peace while also cautioning groups that may be acting as proxies to incite or carry out violence on behalf of signatories.

  • APC to Atiku: Nigerians will never return to Egypt

    The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on Thursday declared Nigerians will never return to the era of looting of national resources and wealth.

    In its reaction to Wednesday night’s televised town hall meeting, The Candidates, which featured the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and his running mate Peter Obi the ruling party stated Nigerians know what is at stakes in the February 16 poll and will never return to Egypt.

    APC’s Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Oni-Issalu, in a statement titled whose interest does Atiku’s Presidency bid serve? faulted Atiku’s plan to grant looters amnesty, if elected.

    The party said: “It is disturbing that Atiku and his returning mate, Peter Obi, could boldly face the national, and indeed, global audience boasting the future of our country belongs to the looters.

    “As a matter of fact, Alhaji Atiku repeatedly told a bewildered nation that those who caused poverty, unemployment, poor infrastructure and misery for many Nigerians under his watch as the vice president would be left to enjoy our commonwealth as long as they turned in part of what they have stolen. This no doubt must have gladdened the hearts of all the enemies of our country.”

    Read Also: Atiku does not need Nigeria’s money, says wife

    The APC added: “In a barefaced manner, the PDP’s Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku promised to roll out the red carpet for people who have wickedly teamed up with him under PDP to ruin our country, in an environment such as ours, where many ordinary Nigerians, not being Atiku’s friends, are wallowing in prison for stealing their neighbours’ goats, phones, foods and such.

    “While Atiku tries to crowd the public space with falsehood on the ongoing fight against corruption and efforts to ensure credible 2019 general elections, the real issue remains Atiku’s inexplicable desperation to selloff remaining national economic assets to his friends and shadowy foreign concerns as Atiku did in the past and has severally and brazenly promised in his campaigns.

    ‘’Atiku’s bid to trade national assets as an incentive for the support of his friends and foreign investors must be resisted.

    ‘’For the All Progressives Congress, we would not get tired of reminding the PDP and Atiku that Nigerians will never return to Egypt.

    “The era of unbridled corruption and impunity is one mission the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government is determined to FIGHT and WIN under a free, fair, and credible electoral process, with the support of well-meaning Nigerians.”

  • Hold Buhari, APC responsible for any threats to polls, says PDP

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be held responsible for any threats to the conduct of the 2019 general elections.

    The main opposition party said its position was informed by its review of recent developments, particularly what it termed the desperation being exhibited by the APC and agents of the Buhari Presidency.

    In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP alleged plots by the APC administration to scuttle the upcoming general elections.

    The party’s position was predicated on the alarm raised by the National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Mongunu, alleging that some individuals that are not certain of their fate in the upcoming elections were plotting to precipitate widespread violence aimed at scuttling the conduct of the elections.

    But the PDP retorted that by every evidence and material facts, the political party and candidate that are not certain of their fate in the election have proven to be the APC and its presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The PDP said the President and his party have continued to exhibit acts of frustration over fear of imminent electoral loss.

    The statement said, “We are all witnesses to the series of warnings to the Buhari Presidency, from prominent Nigerian citizens and topmost members of the international community, including the United States, United Kingdom, the United Nations, and the European Union, against actions that are inimical to the smooth conduct of the general elections.

    Read Also: PDP: Atiku is a consummate democrat

    “It is instructive to note that instead of heeding this warning, the Buhari Presidency and the APC, in their arrogance and desperation, resorted to blackmailing and vilifying the international community, thereby further confirming that they are not ready for a peaceful, free and fair election.

    “Except the NSA is addressing facts known to Nigerians that as a result of losses already suffered by the APC on account of court judgments stopping it from participating in the elections in some states, due to its flawed primaries, some desperate leaders and members of the ruling party are making discreet arrangements to scuttle the polls.

    “This is in addition to APC’s frustration over the soaring popularity of the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, among Nigerians across the board, who have come to a consensus to elect him as the next President of our country, come February, 16, 2019.

    “For the majority of Nigerians, particularly members of the PDP and our teeming supporters, across our nation, the successful conduct of the February 16, 2019 Presidential election is a paramount desire that must be actualized.

    “Nigerians are eager to go to the polls to vote out this administration that has caused them so much anguish, pain, hunger, economic deprivation, sectional acrimony and deaths and this is the reason the APC is seeking all ways to scuttle the elections”.

  • I will restore investor confidence in economy — Atiku

    The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday said he would take practical steps to reposition the economy, if elected.

    Delivering the 2019 Quarterly Island Club Business Lecture in Lagos, the PDP flag bearer promised to restore investor confidence in the economy.

    In the lecture titled, “My Vision to get Nigeria Working Again,” Atiku said he would support the private sector by undertaking reforms that would unleash growth in the economy.

    “We will restore confidence in the Nigerian economy. We will implement policies to drive growth.

    “Today, Ghana – a country with just 14 per cent of our population – attracts more Foreign Direct Investment than Nigeria.

    “In order to reverse the trend, our economic policies would be more coherent, consistent and therefore more predictable by the business community.

    “Nothing could be more threatening to investment flows than an environment that is full of policy flip-flops,“ he said.

    Read Also: PDP: Atiku is a consummate democrat

    Reeling out the components in his #The Atiku Plan for the economy, the PDP candidate said he would create the environment for a strong, productive, pro-growth private sector to create opportunities, jobs and fight poverty.

    He said his government would be constantly engaging the private sector in policy -design and policy implementation.

    The PDP candidate said he would liberalise the economic space and privatise all the ailing public enterprises, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    “The #AtikuPlan will undertake a de-regulation of the downstream sector of the economy, review the PIB and privatise all four state refineries that operate less than 10 per cent of their installed capacities.

    “We shall channel the proceeds from the privatisation into a special fund for the development of education and health,” he said.

    He added that he would assist Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to grow and play their expected roles in the economy through the right policies and programmes.

    The PDP candidate said he would increase investments in human capital, especially in health and education, as the people were the fundamental reason for economic growth.

    “We will create jobs by growing the economy by promoting innovative flagship, job creation programmes such as: The National Open Apprenticeship Programme, through which we shall enhance the capacity of master craftsmen and women to train one million apprentices every year.

    “Our National Innovation Fund and SME Venture initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring entrepreneurs.

    “We will create an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of approximately 25 billion dollars to support private sector investment in infrastructure,“ he said.

    The PDP candidate promised to embark on workable power reform to improve power supply.

    He also promised to improve liquidity by undertaking fiscal restructuring if elected.

    Abubakar said repositioning the economy required a government that had the right focus, adding the PDP would meet the economic goals of Nigerians, if elected.

    Speaking on the recent suspension of the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen, Abubakar described the Federal Government‘s action as wrong.

    Abubakar said the constitution already spelt out the rules for the suspension and removal of the CJN, pointing out that due process was not followed in Onnoghen’s suspension.

    He urged all Nigerians to use the opportunity of the February elections to vote the candidate with the right competence to govern the country.

    The PDP thanked the Island Club, a foremost social club in Lagos, for the platform to speak and articulate his economic vision for Nigeria.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prominent Nigerians at the lecture were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce.

    Others at the lecture included a PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, PDP governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr Jimi Agbaje and former governor of Ogun, Chief Gbenga Daniel.

    NAN

  • ‘Count Itsekiri out of plans to adopt Atiku’

    Efforts by regional cliques to enlist ethnic support for the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, suffered setback in the South-South region on Wednesday as the Itsekiri nation stoutly rejected being included.

    The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILoT), the apex socio-cultural body of the Itsekiri people, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Chief Edward Ekpoko, disowned the organisation that lays claim to the representation of the South-South region; the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).

    In its statement, ILoT flatly dissociated itself from the representative role of PANDEF, saying the body is merely an Ijaw interest group, which could not lay claim to representing the interest of all of Ijaw nation, much less representing the entire multi-ethnic South-South.

    It further stated that the Itsekiri people should be counted out of the scheduled gathering of the region cliques, billed to hold coming Sunday, saying that the people had not adopted any presidential or governorship candidate yet, a decision which it said would soon be made and reveal to the general public.

    “Our attention has been drawn to a proposed meeting of some self-styled regional and ethnic leaders masquerading as Southern, Northern and Middle Belt Leaders scheduled for Sunday. This is being done under various aegises of which the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) is one.

    Read Also: Atiku reports Buhari to US, UK, others

    “PANDEF which arrogates to itself to be a Pan Niger Delta body, does not and cannot represent and speak for the Itsekiri people. It cannot even claim to represent the interests of the entire Ijaw Nation much more of other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta. PANDEF agenda is purely Ijaw and does not approximate with Itsekiris.

    “The Itsekiri Leaders of Thought and indeed the Itsekiri Nation has not decided on any of the presidential or governorship candidates and will in few days unveil its position on the candidates”, the statement said.

  • Atiku reports Buhari to US, UK, others

    The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has reported President Muhammadu Buhari to word powers, citing alleged constitutional breaches against the Nigerian President.

    The letter was personally signed by him and addressed to the Ambassadors of the United States, France, Germany, the European Union (EU) and the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom.

    In the letter, Atiku accused President Buhari of serially breaching the provisions of the Nigerian constitution and undermining organs and institutions of state to advance his personal interest.

    The letter stated in part, “I am writing you as Nigeria’s international development partner working together to deepen and strengthen our democracy as well as to help in the transformation of our economies and societies for the better.

    “As a presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections that will be conducted and supervised by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, I feel the urgent need to share with you some of these key violations of the provisions of our constitution and to demand that you pile pressure on the Federal Government to desist from these violations and ensure a level playing field for the general elections that are only a couple of weeks away.

    “We acknowledge with profound appreciation the positions taken by some members of the international community in Nigeria and urge Your Excellency to add your country’s very strong voice against these breaches of Nigeria’s constitution. Your Voice is very important to the survival of Nigeria’s democracy”.

    According to Atiku, some of the constitutional breaches allegedly committed by the President, president, was the recent suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and his replacement by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.

    “For the records, Justice Walter Onnoghen is the head of one of the tripartite but mutually independent organs that form the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “To attempt to muscle out the Chief Justice of Nigeria using phony charges at a time when His Lordship was primed to play a central role in the fast approaching nationwide electoral process represents the boldest steps in the march to undermine our democracy.

    “This is undoubtedly an anti-democratic act which my political party and I reject without reservation and for which I urge Your Excellency to condemn unequivocally”, Atiku stated.

    The PDP presidential candidate expressed the fears that the alleged unlawful suspension of Justice Onnoghen might affact the outcome of the 2019 presidential election.

    Read Also:

    He also accused President Buhari of illegal purchase of Tucano Aircrafts for the Nigerian military.

    Read Also: Ohanaeze goofs by endorsing Atiku, says Kalu

    The presidential candidate said the aircraft, valued at $496 million, were bought without seeking prior approval of the National Assembly contrary to Section 80 (3) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

    He also accused the Nigerian President’s further serial disregard for court orders, citing the cases of a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki and leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.

    The former Nigerian Vice President stated that various courts had granted Col. Dasuki bail on at least six different occasions, including the ECOWAS Court but that the Buhari led government has persistently refused to comply with the said court orders.

    “Sheikh El-Zakzaky has been in detention without trial for over three years after his followers were massacred in broad daylight; his wife and family killed and his home burnt, in a gory and shameful show of brute force by the Nigerian Army. This particular state violence is nothing short of genocide”.

    He added that an Abuja High Court has ordered for his release since December 2, 2016, but which the President has continued to disregard.

    Atiku cited similar infractions allegedly committed by the President Buhari, including his approval of $1 billion for military expenditure without approval of the National Assembly, as well the enactment of Executive Order No. 006 (Preservation of Suspicious Assets and Related Schedules).

    He stated, “The enactment of the controversial Executive Order No. 006 as an executive legislation which permits security agencies to freeze the assets of persons standing trial or undergoing investigation without recourse to court orders.

    “This is a usurpation of legislative and judicial powers of the National Assembly and the judiciary as enshrined respectively under sections 4 and 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and reminiscent of the military era of decrees.

    “The above, and many more that did not make it into this very short letter, are the unfortunate actions of the government of a man who merely pays lip service to being a reformed democrat.

    “General elections are upon us yet again. I urge you to partner with Nigerians to defend our constitution and play an active role in building our country.

    “The choice facing all of us is either to stand aside and watch Nigerians reelect a President who has been in constant violation of the laws of the land without remorse; or to support them show him the way out and elect a true democrat. We must send a clear message that the Nigerian Nation is bigger than any individual.

    “Even if Nigerians opted not to elect me as president, the incumbent must go into the polls on his own record of lack of respect for the rule of law and not on the spurious perception of his ‘Integrity’. We need to set precedence for successive leaders not to take democratic mandate for granted”.