Atiku: Why I'm rejecting presidential election result

Atiku Abubakar

Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded election, has given reasons for rejecting the outcome of the polls.

Speaking at a world press conference at the Shehu Yar' Adua Centre on Wednesday, the PDP presidential candidate said the outcome of last Saturday's polls is incapable of forming a government of the people on the ground that it is "not a reflection of the will of majority of Nigerians."

According to him, "The fact is that when you calmly look at the numbers declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as the results of the February 23, 2019 elections,  they do not add up at all. Let me say that I am not  speaking as a member of the PDP. I am speaking as a Nigerian when I say that  the electoral fraud perpetuated  by the Buhari administration this past Saturday can not produce a government of the people for the simple reason that it does not reflect the will of the Nigerian people. 

"It is for this reason that I, Atiku Abubakar rejects the result declared by  INEC which declared Muhammadu Buhari as duly returned by the majority of the lawful votes.

"On election day, we saw the implementation of a grand theft of the people’s will. I am not one for hyperbole, so I will just let the facts speak for themselves.

"In Akwa Ibom for instance, the result showed a statistical impossibility of a 62 per cent drop in voter turnout in the 2015 elections even

though voter registration and Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs collection rate were much higher in 2015. This is where voter suppression took place. 

"You must recall that  our party made this observation and complain before the elections that there were plans to implement voter suppression on PDP or opposition’s

strongholds and voter increase in APC strongholds. 

"This pattern was repeated in strongholds of PDP including states like Delta, Rivers, Abia and Benue . As this was occurring, we saw another statistical impossibility where voter turnout increased astronomically in Borno state by an almost miraculous 82 per cent in the midst of insecurity. 

"This pattern was also repeated in other strongholds of the APC states. One begins to ask if insecurity is conducive to higher voter turnout and security antithetical to high voter turnout. It is further curious that the PDP’s margin of victory in state outside the South East and  South South were extremely slim across board. That again is a statistical impossibility.

"I am conferring with not just my party but also Nigerian people on the next step which will be revealed to the public shortly.

"For my fellow Nigerians who feel angry and disillusioned  by the process, I appeal to you to remain calm and steadfast. Rome was not built in a day. We have the real figures; we have the facts that  have spoken so loudly on Saturday, Feb 23, 2019.

"As I have always said, this year  is my three decades in Nigeria’s struggle for democracy. And this is the worst election in those 30 years.

"I told General Abdsulsalami Abubakar two nights ago when he called me that not even the military  conducted such a worst election. This is a long journey but I am confident of victory. All hope is not lost, stay strong.

"By the grace of God, we shall triumph. To the international investors and friends of Nigeria now pulling out of the country, be calm. Can you imagine only yesterday that  by that the mere announcement, the stock market lost N85bn? 

"I urge you to be patient and keep faith with the Nigerian people. You problem is not  with the Nigerian people, your quarrel is with those who stole their mandate.”

At the conference were Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi, Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization and President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, PDP National chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Chairman and PDP Board of Trustee, BOT, chairman Senator Walid Jibrin.

Also present were former governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former governor of Niger state, Babangida Aliyu, Senator Ben Bruce and Senator Dino Melaye.