Ime Akpan
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the outcome of the February presidential election saying he had not congratulated the winner because there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari who is also the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was on Wednesday declared as the winner of the February 26 presidential election by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC).
Buhari polled a total of the 15,191,847 votes at the end of collation of results in Abuja on Wednesday to beat Atiku who received 11,262,978 to lose the election with a margin of 3,928,869 votes.
Announcing the results in the wee hours of Wednesday in Abuja, the chairman of and chief returning officer of the presidential election, said Buhari “having satisfied the requirements if the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared winner and is returned elected.”
Buhari won in 19 states of the federation and also satisfied the constitutional requirement of scoring 25 per cent in 34 states and the FCT.
Atiku, on the other hand, won in 17 states of the federation and the FCT.
However, the PDP flag bearer said in a statement entitled ‘Democracy will not be emasculated in Nigeria’ that if the election were free and fair, he would have probably be the first to call and congratulate the winner.
Atiku who personally signed the statement (Read the full text below) said issued on Thursday declared: “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.
“…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.
Atiku alleged that the electoral process was militarised in place like Rivers, Imo and Akwa Ibom states where troops deployed for the elections “turned their guns on the very citizens they were meant to protect.”
He also raised issues about high voter turnout in states ravaged by insurgency and the suppression of his votes and disruption of voting in PDP voting strongholds.
“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 People’s 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,” he said.
Nevertheless, he thanked Nigerians “who trooped out in their millions to perform their civic duty this past Saturday” for their patriotism which he described as “heartwarming.”
His full statement
Democracy will not be emasculated in Nigeria
By Atiku Abubakar
I thank the Nigerian people who trooped out in their millions to perform their civic duty this past Saturday. The patriotism of Nigerians is heartwarming and affirms my oft-repeated statement that we are brothers and sisters born from the womb of one mother Nigeria.
With regards to the Presidential elections that took place on February 23, 2019, it is clear that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced.
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 People’s 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. (See attached links to documentary evidences).
The militarization 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.
I want to assure my supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, we will not allow democracy to be emasculated.
I hope and pray Nigerians will someday summon the courage to defend democracy. That is the only way we can move away from being the world headquarters for extreme poverty.
Signed:
Waziri Atiku Abubakar
27th February 2019
He provided documented evidence to back his claims
Documentary Evidence
1. Electoral violence: Video
2. Unknown gunmen disrupting election in Buguma, Rivers State: Video
3. In Bonny, Rivers state; military shooting in all directions as voters and INEC officials scamper to safety: Video
4. Video
5. Evidence of rigging. Video
6. Thugs unleashed on a section of PDP stronghold in Lagos and set ablaze already cast ballots. Video
7. Yet more violence being unleashed on voters in Lagos Video
8. Thugs unleashed on PDP stronghold in Lagos while security men simply stand and watch. Video
9. Elections materials burnt in Ago Palace Way, Isolo Lagos as voters scamper for safety. Video
10. Thugs drive away voters in Lagos. Video
12. Incomplete presidential ballot paper booklet. Video
13. Diversion of voting materials and results in Okrika LGA, Rivers State. Video
14. Violence in Gokana, Rivers State. Video
15. Corps member killed. Picture
16. Destruction of ballot boxes at Alafia Street, Coker Aguda, Surulere. Video
