Presidential poll: Abdulsalami delivers Atiku’s message to Buhari, says he did not give any condition to concede defeat
The conditions the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, gave for the peaceful conduct of next Saturday’s election do not mean he is not pursuing other options to achieve his mandate he claims has been taken from him, the National Peace Committee has clarified.
Chairman of the National Peace Committee, Abdulasalami Abubakar, made the disclosure after delivering the message from Atiku to President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Atiku presented his grievances and his observations, he did not present any conditions. He gave his complaints, which we have come to present and discuss with Mr President to see what can be done,” he said.
Nigeria Everyday (Everyday.ng) reports that Atiku Abubakar, is seeking the unfreezing of opposition politicians’ bank accounts, if peace is to prevail in forthcoming elections.
Other demands the loser in the official results of the presidential election declared by the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) presented to the Peace Committee, (NPC) and his team include the demilitarisarion of subsequent polls.
*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 IndependentNational Electoral Commission (INEC) should open its back end server to all participating parties.
*That there should be a release of all politicians detained illegally by Federal Government (FG).
Abdulsalami Abubakar said Friday they visited the president in order to intimate him of the grievances raised by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting the president Friday, the former Head of State said: “Yesterday (Thursday) l met the PDP Presidential candidate and his party in order to ensure that this peace committee ensure that really, our concern is about Nigeria.
“And in order to listen to their grievances and what they think has gone wrong, we are here today to see his Excellency, the President in order to relay the fears and concerns of the PDP and Mr President listened to us and has taken note of what we have told him.”
“We are not talking about self-interest, we are talking about the interest of the country. I keep saying, whenever there is violence, we are not going to see violence in Ikoyi, in the Villa and you will not find violence in the various government houses in this country. It is always the poor that get to kill themselves and so on.
“So, please, yes, as much as we have grievances, l am glad that the PDP say they are going to court to challenge the process, l think this is the right way to go about it, and l hope and pray that we will maintain this”.