Atiku hails media, U.S. senator for standing with Nigerians

The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has hailed a ranking member of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch, for pointing out the fact that Nigeria’s recently concluded Presidential election was fraught with irregularities.

He also hailed Risch for criticising the US government over its decision to hurriedly embrace Bola Tinubu as president-elect despite reports from election observers.

Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said posterity would be kind to Senator Risch for siding with the people of Nigeria even against the US government.

Shaibu said: “Senator Risch’s name will be etched in the minds of Nigerians forever. Posterity will be kind to him for speaking up at this crucial point in history. His action is reminiscent of the late US Ambassador, Walter Carrington, who acted as an activist, insisting on the June 12 mandate from 1993 till 1997 during the repressive regime of General Sani Abacha.

“Senator Risch has confirmed what objective observers revealed. And that is that the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria was a sham, a usurpation of the will of the people and a stain on the history of Nigeria.”

Shaibu also commended some media organisations for their strongly worded editorials, where they described in detail what really happened in the so-called election of 25 February.

Atiku’s aide noted that the Financial Times in its editorial titled, ‘Nigeria’s Badly Flawed Election Fails to Set an Example’ dismissed the poll for the sham that it was.

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Shaibu argued that the crown that Tinubu was wearing was stained with the blood of innocent Nigerians who were bold enough to resist the APC on the day of the election.

He added: “Tinubu’s pyrrhic victory will be short-lived. The stolen crown balances on his head precariously. He will continue to shake until he drops it. It is funny that Lagos was the fulcrum of Tinubu’s campaign as he promised to replicate the miracle of Lagos across Nigeria, and yet the people of Lagos rejected him on the day of election.

“Tinubu lost in Ikeja local government where he had voted and also lost in Bourdillon, Ikoyi where he lives. Rather than accept the will of the people, he unleashed thugs on the people he claimed to love. Jennifer Efidi Bima was hit in the face by Tinubu’s hounds in Surulere. Her blood-stained ballot paper is a testament to the resolve of the people as he still lost in Lagos despite the violence.

“Ahead of the governorship election, Tinubu will once again relocate to Lagos, where he will try to unleash violence on the people in order to ensure that Babajide Sanwo-Olu is re-elected. Nigerians must rise up against such tyranny.”

The Star