The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 23 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has debunked media reports indicating he planned to lead a protest should the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal rule against his bid to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to grant him access to information on the Commission’s central server.
Atiku and the PDP are challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Tribunal where they have prayed the tribunal to compel INEC to grant them access to information relating to the presidential election on the Commission’s central server.
In a statement Sunday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the PDP candidate described statements in circulation to that effect as the handiwork of mischief makers.
According to Atiku, the said statement was meant to mar Atiku Abubakar’s “spotless pro-democratic record”, with the view to laying the groundwork on false charges against him.
The statement said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement circulating in a section of the media, to the effect that Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of PDP in the 2019 presidential election and Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007, plans to lead a street protest in the event that the election petition tribunal rules against him and his party on the issue of a server for the Independent National Electoral Commission.
“I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies.
“It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the ground work for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar believes in the Rule of Law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his almost four decades in politics, he has never taken action or spoken words against democracy and will not start now.
“Atiku Abubakar and his team have confidence in God and thus call on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps.
“Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The culture of fear being created now cannot rein in our democracy. Nigeria and Nigerians have a consistent history of outlasting tyranny and will continue to do so by the grace of God”.
