Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the presidency and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has issued a warning to supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, President Bola Tinubu, urging them not to disrupt the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
In a statement released by his special assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stated that this caution has become necessary following the orchestrated protest staged by Tinubu’s supporters at the European Union head office in Abuja after the publication of the EU Observer Mission report, which exposed the lack of credibility in the election.
The EU report criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its poor handling of the election. However, Tinubu’s representatives, including his spokesperson Dele Alake, former activist Festus Keyamo, and Femi Fani-Kayode, who were also implicated in the report, rejected the findings.
Subsequently, a group of APC supporters stormed the EU headquarters, receiving full police protection for their demonstration.
However, Shaibu responded by stating, “We take this opportunity to warn the Tinubu administration and its followers not to disrupt the proceedings of the election tribunal, as their disregard for the truth was evident in the picketing of the EU office.”
“Let us remember that in 1999, when the late renowned lawyer Chief Gani Fawehinmi sued Tinubu for forgery of his school certificate, thugs were sponsored to stage protests outside the courthouse. Similarly, when Tinubu faced charges before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, thugs were once again sponsored to protest at the trial, all in an attempt to intimidate the judiciary.
“We find it intriguing that the same security agencies that have been issuing statements against protests were conveniently available to provide cover for government-sponsored protesters picketing the EU office. We caution the security agencies to remain vigilant as the tribunal proceedings come to an end. The world is watching.”
Shaibu expressed his regret that poverty had deepened and inflation had skyrocketed within the first 40 days of Tinubu’s administration.
He further stated that innocent Nigerians had become vulnerable to manipulation due to the poverty, which the APC was exploiting.
Shaibu declared, “Today, food has become a luxury. The purchasing power of the people has significantly decreased due to the unanticipated removal of petrol subsidy, without any accompanying relief measures. With just N1,000, anyone on the streets could be given a t-shirt and placard to participate in protests that they have no understanding of.”
“This is how far Nigeria has deteriorated since Tinubu assumed power.”
He added that Tinubu’s government was characterized by hypocrisy, as he attributed the failures of the APC to selected scapegoats without pointing fingers at former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Tinubu blamed Godwin Emefiele for the country’s economic woes and ordered his detention, all the while showering praises on the man who not only appointed Emefiele, but also awarded him a national honor. This is the height of hypocrisy,” said Atiku’s aide.
He pointed out that instead of acknowledging the flaws in the election, Tinubu continued to grandstand, which only infuriated Nigerians.
Atiku’s aide stated, “No one needs to be reminded that the 2023 presidential election was one of the worst ever conducted in Nigeria’s history. The 2007 election was equally terrible, but at least then, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua acknowledged that it was flawed and immediately initiated electoral reforms. However, by rejecting the EU report, Tinubu has shown that he is not open to the possibility of electoral reform.”
“Tinubu is the opposite of a statesman. He claims that the 2023 election is the best Nigeria has had since 1999 and constantly draws comparisons between it and the monumental June 12, 1993 election by frequently mentioning the names of MKO Abiola and Hope 93.”
“This is the epitome of deceit. MKO’s victory was untarnished, while Tinubu stole the hopes of a generation. Tinubu’s renewed hope is nothing more than renewed hopelessness, a continuation of Buhari’s eight years of monumental failure. It is simply, as the youth say, ‘renewed shege’. We implore Nigerians to be patient as we await the judiciary’s rectification of the injustice imposed on over 200 million people by INEC.”