Politics

APC campaign slams Atiku over protest at INEC office

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has lashed out at the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, for leading a protest to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.

The APC campaign council said going by Atiku’s political antecedents, it was not surprising that the former Vice President led a protest to the INEC headquarters after he had vowed to challenge the outcome of the February 25 presidential election in court.

It said this via a statement issued on Monday by the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga.

The council said: “When the defeated Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar told the whole world last week that he would seek redress in court over the outcome of the 25 February Presidential election, little did we know that he did not plan to be guided by his own promise.

“Going by his political antecedents, it was rather not surprising that Atiku, days later, led a band of protesters, nay jesters in Abuja, to the headquarters of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“What was on display today by Alhaji Atiku and his motley crowd was a new low from the perennial election loser.

“With Atiku staging a theatre of the absurd, we fail to see how a march to INEC by a scanty crowd will provide any victory window for him and his fragmented PDP. The only recourse open to Atiku after the electoral umpire declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the President-elect, is the Election Petition Tribunal.

“Instead of Atiku and his party to wisely spend their time to gather the so-called evidence they hope to present before the courts, they are busy dancing ‘skelewu’ on the streets and causing traffic nuisance to residents of the Federal Capital Territory who were going to work on a Monday morning.”

The APC campaign council, while describing Atiku as a disturbance of public peace, urged the PDP presidential flag-bearer “to respect his age and the high office of the Vice Presidency of Nigeria he once occupied.”

“He should stop being teleguided by Dino Melaye, who disclosed scandalously that N400 billion was wasted on the election, which was clear at the outset that Atiku was bound to lose.

“Atiku should avoid being misdirected by other court jesters in his party, who continued to campaign after the election, still spewing their inanities against the President-elect. They are mere comic characters in a travelling theatre group.

“We advise Atiku to retire honourably from politics and move to his abode in Dubai. At 77 in November, Atiku does not have age on his side again.

“He has participated in his last election and hopefully, he has learnt worthy lessons, never to place his selfish interest above party and established principles in his party and the polity,” the council noted.

The Star