National Peace C’ttee panel meets Buhari over Atiku’s grievances

BY Mathew Dadiya, Tunde Opalana -Abuja

….As PDP insists on going to court

The National Peace Committee (NPC) led by former Head of State, General Absulsalami Abubakar has met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja where it tabled the concerns raised by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar over the results of last Saturday’s presidential election.

President Buhari was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 15,191,847 votes to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Atiku who scored 11, 262, 978 votes.

Speaking to State House Correspondents after the meeting which lasted for about an hour, General Abdulsalami acknowledged that the results of the elections have raised a lot of dust with divergent grievances across the polity.

The former Head of State however, said he was pleased with the news that the PDP has decided to approach the court to seek redress.

“As much as we have grievances, l am glad that the PDP say they are going to court to challenge the process, l think this is the right way to go about it, and l hope and pray that we will maintain this.”

General Abdulsalami confirmed that members of his panel had met with the presidential candidate of the PDP who raised concerns contrary to the reported conditions as being speculated.

He said, “The Presidential election result has raised a lot of dust and the people feel aggrieved. Yesterday l met the PDP Presidential candidate and his party in other to ensure that this peace committee ensure that really, our concern is about Nigeria.

“Atiku presented his grievances and his observations, he did not present any conditions, he gave his complaints, which we have come to presented and discuss with Mr. President to see what can be done.

“And in other to listen to their grievances and what they think has gone wrong and we are here today to see his Excellency the President in other to relay the fears and concerns of the PDP and Mr. President he listen to us and has taken note of what we have told him.”

Abdulsalami who was in the villa with John Cardinal Onaiyekan and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Mathew Hassan Kukah, urged Nigerians to always explore peaceful means regardless of the outcome of elections.

“Nigerians should please on behalf of this country and all of us, regardless, we need peace. This country is very, very important to all of us. We are not talking about self-interest; we are talking about the interest of the country’’, he added.

In the meantime, Contrary to media report of being prevailed upon by the National Peace Committee, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it had no agreement with the General Abdudalam Abubakar led Committee.

The party insisted that it will challenge the results of the Presidential election in court and nobody can stop it from doing so.

National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus said the position of the party has not changed and cannot be changed by any negotiation with anybody or institution.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, the chairman said that the party stated its grievances as requested by the Committee which promised to listen to the All Progressives Congress (APC) without arm twisting the party to drop its intended legal action.

Explaining the details of the meeting between PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the party leadership and members of the Peace Committee; Gen.Abdusalam Abubakar (rtd), Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, he 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 okay, let’s just talk.

“It was no condition. 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 anybody that we did not give condition, they did not request for it. 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 APC and INEC collusion”.

Secondus further insisted on the party’s position saying “We will go to court. Nobody will stop us from going to court and bring all of the facts both the international observers and some people have not seen.

“We will unearth them at the courts and I believe that justice will be done at the courts; because if we continue to suppress injustice and go sentimental, the country will continue to pile on gun powder that will explode one day’’, Secondus said.