Atiku’s loyalists in Bauchi wants INEC to clear self from allegations of election irregularities

BY SAMUEL LUKA

Barely a day after the announcement of the presidential election results, Bauchi State chapter of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation has challenged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to come clean from allegation of bias and condoning electoral irregularities levelled against it.

The Secretary of the Organisation, Hon Sabir Murtala, who led a group to speak with Journalists on Thursday, said his members had sought for permission from the organisation to protest on the streets but they asked them to remain calm.

“These people you are seeing here are members of the various Atiku support groups in Bauchi state who supported the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP),” he said.

According to him, “they came to us seeking for our permission to enable them go to the streets in order to protest the perceived injustice meted on our principal, Atiku Abubakar by INEC. We told them not to do that but to select representatives from among them who we can meet briefly with.”

He explained that Atiku Abubakar has warned them against any protest against the outcome of the elections which informed their decision not to took to streets in protest.

“We are pained by what was done to us by INEC and the authorities, they promised to work with the provision of the electoral act as amended but they reneged in the promise,” the group lamented.

Also speaking, leader of another group known as Atiku Haske, Comrade Mohammed A. Sale said that the result that was given to INEC by the PDP agents during the election was not what was published and released by INEC.

“We want the world to know that the PDP was shortchanged, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu and others should know what happened,” he said.

According to him, “We know our strength here in Bauchi State, the result announced by INEC was not correct, we want peace, INEC should do the needful.”

Mohammed Saleh who insisted that they are not satisfied with the result declared by INEC, said what the PDP polled was not what was released.

The group which said it believe in free, fair and credible election, noted that as law abiding citizens, they will not take the laws into our hands, but would want INEC to know that what it did was wrong and it can plunge the country into chaos.

“INEC should correct the problems noted in the last election so that it will not be repeated in the next election which are for the Governors and state assembly members,” the group advised.