Atiku’s plan to challenge poll results in court not an issue – FG

…Says it’s not jittery at all because the process was open and transparent
…Ex-VP not destined to be Nigeria’s president, says Oshiomhole
The Federal Government has said it was not concerned over the decision of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to challenge the result of the February 23 Presidential election in court.

In an interview with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said that the country’s constitution and the Electoral Act have provided that whoever is not satisfied with results of election should approach the court.

He, therefore, encouraged the PDP candidate to tow that line, as already indicated.

“We are not jittery at all because the process was open and transparent. It was a credible election and we will continue to savour in the victory but in the process too, we will extend the hand of friendship for the purpose of nation building and reconciliation.

“Our Electoral Act and the constitution have both provided a window for whoever is dissatisfied with the process of election to seek redress. That is the path and we will encourage them to go along that path,” he said.

Mustapha however, assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari will do more for them in his second term, especially in the area of infrastructure development.

He said: “Looking into the future of the country, the President is very clear about what he wants to do. He will stand on the three pivot points that he pushed forward in 2015; securing the nation, diversifying the economy and also fighting corruption with all intensity.

“There will be inclusiveness all over the place. This is one government that has really invested in social infrastructure by bringing people who are below the poverty level up and out of poverty, There are so many things that we are looking forward to and I am very thrilled and grateful that we had this opportunity to now consolidate on the tenets and gains of our democracy.”

Meanwhile, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is not destined to rule Nigeria as President.

Oshiomhole in a press conference at the National Secretariat of the party on Thursday in Abuja said that “it borders on arrogance that our future is tied on his presidency, Atiku is destined never to be president of Nigeria”.

He also revealed that APC will file cross petition if Atiku and PDP go to court as threatened, saying the votes obtained by Atiku were not genuine but rigged.

He said: “Rather than Atiku believing that rigging has come to stay and why the numbers don’t add up in the absence of massive rigging, I just think that he needs to be reminded that the essence of the collective effort that has been made, and all those who I can describe as genuine friends of Nigeria has tried to improve the electoral process.

“We have petitions forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), how we were rigged out in Akwa Ibom State and it is interesting that it is PDP that is complaining about the outcome of election in Akwa Ibom State.

“How do you explain that INEC cancelled so many units not only in Akwa Ibom State, so many other states in order to be able to declare PDP candidates as winners? That is how Senator Akpabio was rigged out in Akwa Ibom State.

“Was he going to rule Nigeria against our wish? Citizens must hold their leaders accountable to their policy choices. Even when he said ‘if he will die, he will sell NNPC’; many believed that he has collected deposit.

“Leadership is about character. Atiku’s desperation is so obvious, so desperate that in 2003, he challenged his own boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo not to do a second term”.

Oshiomhole, who maintained the earlier stand of APC that INEC was working for the PDP, said: “Whether INEC helped PDP or APC that is neither here or there.

INEC in Cross River State went out of its way to fix government officials as ad hoc staff and cancelled many votes in favour of one of our Senatorial candidate, particularly Senator Akpabio in Akwa Ibom State as to deny him victory.

“I also mentioned that if Atiku decides to go to court, I also reserve the right to file cross petition because there are also areas in my local government for example, 15 units were cancelled due to the carelessness or collaboration or mischief of an Electoral Officer that was deployed to my local government knowing that, it’s my stronghold.

“What did they do; they added the figures, they keep painting them, they keep repainting them to a point that the result sheet became so mutilated.

They called the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), brought the form A8 which is the unit results so that they can reconstruct exact result of those units, INEC declined.

So we lost about 5000 votes in my local government. If you add those votes to what finally came out in Edo, you will find out that APC would have defeated PDP”, he stressed.