2019 presidency: Atiku raises the alarm over threat to life

…Petitions Buhari, seeks police protection for himself, family members
…Ex – VP should look inward- APC spokesman Nabena
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged threats to his life and those of his family members regarding his decision to contest the 2019 Presidential election.

Atiku, who is one of the aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), revealed this in a petition he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari. The petition was dated September 7, 2018.

The petition, titled “Petition over Criminal Intimidation and Threat to My Life, that of members of My Family, and Cyber Stalking Using Mobile Phone Number 08148228704,” was also copied to the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

In the petition, Atiku requested more police protection for his family and himself from President Buhari, adding that his wife and daughters have received separate text messages from a mobile line stating that unless he backs out of the race, they would be raped and killed.

The former Vice President said the author of the threat text message said his family was being watched closely.

He therefore called on Buhari to order an urgent investigation into the matter, pointing out that it could lead to serious breaches and may constitute real danger to national security.

The former vice president said: “I present my highest compliments to the President and Commander -in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and have the honour to request your Excellency kind review/investigation and urgent consideration of extra protection for my family and I against some criminal intimidation and threat to my life, that of my family, and the cyber stalking against my family and I, using telephone mobile number +2348148228704.”

Atiku also claimed in the petition that the author of the text message threatened that if he doesn’t withdraw from the contest, “we will kill, rape your wife and daughters”, whom they identified as Mariam who worked at CBN and Fatima, the former commissioner in Adamawa State.

According to Atiku, the author of the threat message also said: “We will blow your plane off the sky and we will poison you and your family. You are going to see what we will do with your family. We know where and where your children travel to.”

The petition further revealed that the author of the message threatened that they will blow up all his property and those of his wife, adding “we control the aviation towers in Nigeria and South Africa.

We are in government and Buhari will win again. Your party members will never select you and if they do, we will assassinate (sic) you. We will kill you by blowing up your plane.”

In the separate text messages to the wife and daughter, the author, according to Atiku, asked them to ask him to back down from the contest or they will be harmed.

The former vice president however said, ” From the foregoing, Mr. President can see that if adequate and urgent steps are not taken to identify and dealing with these threats, it could lead to serious breaches and may constitute real danger to national security.

“Considering that this threats border on the right of my family and I to life as well as my freedom to aspire for and contest for the Presidency in Nigeria, I urge you to commence urgent investigation with a view to identifying the person (s) behind the threat, expose and prosecute the culprit (s) in accordance with the laws.

“I request that you ensure the continued protection of my rights to life, that of my family, my property and my rights and freedoms to associate and aspire to any political office as guaranteed under the 1999 Nigerian constitution (as amended),” he added.

But in a reaction to the alarm raised by Atiku, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Yekini Nabena, advised the former Vice President and the PDP presidential aspirant to look inward.

He said, “We will advice the former Vice President to look inward. The APC has nothing to do with the PDP primary election or the scheming within the opposition political parties on who they field as presidential candidates for 2019 election.

“Let them face their contest and refrain from heightening the political tempo by raising the alarm over imaginary threats to life”.