Don’t Compromise Standards, Atiku Tells Security Chiefs
Atiku Abubakar
- Stop destroying institutions, Secondus warn Buhari, APC
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The presidential standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Thursday admonished heads of security agencies in the country not to allow the All Progressives Congress (APC) use them as agents to rig the forthcoming elections.
Atiku, who stated this at the Katsina State Sports Stadium when his campaign train arrived in the state, accused the APC government of planning to manipulate the outcome of the polls through security agencies, saying he would reject any “rigged result” after the elections.
“I want to advise the security chiefs, including the Nigeria army, to avoid any attempts by APC administration to use them as agents to rig the result of the general election. PDP as party will reject rigged results,” he said.
He reiterated his doggedness to improve the economic status of the country, adding that security, improved healthcare system and employment generation would remain his priorities if given the mandate to govern Nigeria.
The PDP presidential candidate, however, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has failed to address the challenges of insecurity and unemployment facing the country after three and half years in office.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, said negative reactions of Nigerians to the ‘Next Level’ mantra of Buhari have shown that the document was dead on arrival.
He pointed out that the president failed to articulate any solutions or clear policy direction in his “procured and pedestrian ‘Next Level’ document.”
According to Secondus, “APC has brought hunger, unemployment and insecurity to the country. They want to kill international observers and PDP members. We must refute the leadership of APC in Nigeria.”
Secondus also warned President Buhari and APC to stop destroying institutions of the state just because it’s being rejected by Nigerians and wants to manipulate the electoral process.
The PDP leader cried out that APC in its desperation and confusion is destroying institutions like Police and the military by intervening on their day-to-day running, including determining posting of officers.
His warning came as he addressed large crowd of party supporters who thronged the Katsina State Sports Stadium, the home state of President Buhari, to behold Atiku campaign train.
Secondus reiterated his earlier position that PDP and its supporters will not accept the result of election not derived from the votes of the Nigerian people.
He told the jubilant supporters who shouted Atiku! Atiku! That their large turnout showed clearly that their son, the president, failed them, pointing out that hunger and poverty recognise nobody.
“What President Buhari and his party bequeathed the people of Katsina State and Nigeria in the last three and half years is nothing but hunger and unemployment,” he stated.
Secondus lauded Atiku as the symbol of unity “and a man who has excelled in public and private sectors, therefore, well equipped to rescue Nigeria.”
The PDP national chairman also blasted the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for his reckless threat on election foreign observers, reminding him that in 2015, he and other APC leaders visited US and Europe begging for observers to come only to be threatening them now just because his party is losing.
He said that no amount of threat would deter observers and other critical players in global democracy from carrying out their responsibility to Nigeria and democracy.
