By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last general elections, Alh. Atiku Abubakar has dismissed claims in a section of the
media to the effect that he 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. Atiku emphatically declared that such a statement did not emanate from him nor his privies.
The former Vice President, in a statement yesterday by his Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, attributed the report to the work of mischief makers who want to mar his (Atiku’s) 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.The statement made it clear that Atiku Abubakar is a strong believer in the Rule of Law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It stressed that the former Vice President’s 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, the statement said, have confidence in God and thus called on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps. The statement by Ibe reads, “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”, it said.
