Presidential election: Atiku challenges results, heads for court to reclaim mandate

…Says democracy will not be emasculated in Nigeria, I will reclaim my stolen mandate
…Urges foreign investors not to divest from Nigeria
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has rejected the results of last Saturday’s election as declared early Wednesday morning by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

Atiku said there was a clear indication that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced.

In a declaration at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja on Wednesday, the Wazirin Adamawa said the unacceptable results will be challenged in court by him and the PDP.

Reviewing the entire process, he said: “One obvious red flag is the statistical impossibility of states ravaged by the war on terror generating much higher voter turnouts than peaceful states.

The suppressed votes in my strongholds are so apparent and amateurish, that I am ashamed as a Nigerian that such could be allowed to happen. How can total votes in Akwa-Ibom, for instance, be 50% less than what they were in 2015?

“Another glaring anomaly is the disruption of voting in strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party in Lagos, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers and diverse other states, with the authorities doing little or nothing and in some cases facilitating these unfortunate situations.

“The militarisation of the electoral process is a disservice to our democracy and a throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship.

In some areas of the country, such as Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo states, troops deployed for the elections turned their guns on the very citizens they were meant to protect. This is condemnable and should not be associated with our electoral process in the future.

“I am a democrat and there are democratic avenues available to present the truth to the nation and the watching world. Already, many international observers have given their verdicts, which corroborate our observations. I am sure more will come in the coming hours and days.

“If I had lost in a free and fair election, I would have called the victor within seconds of my being aware of his victory to offer not just my congratulations, but my services to help unite Nigeria by being a bridge between the North and the South.

“However, in my democratic struggles for the past three decades, I have never seen our democracy so debased as it was on Saturday, February 23, 2019.

2007 was a challenge, but President Yar’Adua was remorseful. In 2019, it is sad to see those who trampled on democracy thumping their noses down on the Nigerian people.

“Consequently, I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court.

He said fraudulent election cannot produce a government for the Nigerian people because it does not reflect the choice of the people.

Atiku, who was saddened by the negative reaction of the Nigerian capital market to the declaration of Buhari, urged foreign investors not to be despaired in the country’s business environment.

He said it was pathetic that the Nigerian Stock Exchange lost N85 billion in just one day after the declaration.

“Foreign investors should please remain calm and not punish the people of Nigeria by divesting from the country”, because Nigerians are already suffering as a result of bad economy policies of the Buhari administration”.

He, however, thanked the Nigerian people who trooped out in their millions to perform their civic duty, stressing that the patriotism of Nigerians is heartwarming.

He assured his supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, they will defend the hard earned democracy and will not allow it to be emasculated.

Atiku said he is conferring not only with his party but with the Nigerian populace on the next step which will be revealed very soon.

Those in attendance were vice presidential candidate of PDP, Peter Obi, Director General of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation and President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Chairman PDP Board of Trustee, BoT, Sen Walid Jibrin, former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Murray Bruce and Senator Dino Melaye among others.