The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in last week’s election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has presented a six-point demand to the Federal Government. Top on the demand was unfreezing of opposition politicians’ bank accounts.
Another major demand presented to the former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee, (NPC) Geneneral Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) was demilitarization of subsequent polls.
Gen. Abubakar led members of the committee which included Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Bishop Kukah and Rev. Fr Atta Barkindo to a meeting with Atiku and his running mate, Mr. Peter Obi in Abuja yesterday night. The NPC is expected to meet President Muhammadu Buhari government with the demands. Other demands by Atiku were:
*That accreditation of voters should take place before voting in subsequent elections.
*That there should be no deployment of the military in subsequent elections.
* That INEC should open its back end server to all participating parties.
*That there should be a release of all politicians detained illegally by FG.
A source at the meeting disclosed that Atiku “warned that tensions are building up in the land.” Atiku and his team informed the group that the election of Feb 23 was the worst in 20 years since the country returned to democratic rule and that it was marked by brazen rigging with no consideration to the will of the people.
They listed the following as issues they had with the Presidential polls:
*Deployment of the military was unconstitutional and in breach of Supreme Court judgement.
*That resultantly, a lot of malpractices between the INEC officers, the ruling party and the military took place to undermine the votes/voters of the PDP.
*That there was collaboration between INEC and FG to undermine the sanctity of the votes of the people.
*That this is the worst election in 20 years. No improvement from 2015. It was learnt that Gen. Abdusalam and his team pleaded with the PDP flag bearer to avoid anything that could jeopardise the nation’s peaceful co-existence.
Meanwhile, the Presidency has cautioned followers of President Muhammadu Buhari against inciting the opposition to anger as they celebrate the victory of the president.
Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang issued the warning while addressing State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja after meeting with the President.
Enang, while congratulating the President and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said those celebrating the success should be modest so as not to anger the opposition.
He said, “Let me, first of all, congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the victory as president and vice president on the Next Level and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“What we as a government and a people should do is to ensure that our statements, our actions, our celebrations and our reaction to those who lost should be tempered, temperate, measured, humble and such that are not capable of inciting the other party to anger.”
Enang also called on those who won as senators and members of the House of Representatives to talk to their followers to speak less and work more to bring about unity and integration of those who have lost.
He said: “The real winners in this election are the Nigerian voters; and we are conscious that about 11 million people voted for the other party while 15 million voted for our party”.
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