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….Accuse PDP of working towards a weak candidate
By Terungwa Tyowase
Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar may not contest the 2027 presidential election unless the National Assembly further amends the subsisting Electoral Act, Citizenship Daily gathers on good authority.
In another development, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagun is feared to be perfecting plans to present an “extremely weak presidential candidate” for the 2027 election, should the PDP be ever able to achieve that goal.
According to a competent source who pleaded anonymity, Atiku Abubakar had hinted some of his close allies that unless the electoral Act is amended to make it mandatory for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically and in real-time, he will withdraw from the contest.
CitizenshipDaily was informed that the former Vice President expressed disappointments at the Supreme Court verdict that provided excuses for the INEC for refusal to electronically transit the Presidential elections results through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS).
The Independent National Electoral Commission had promised at different fora through its Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu and the former National commissioner in charge of voter education, Festus Okoye, that BIVAS would be strictly used for the 2023 elections and results would be transmitted real time.
The Supreme Court had ruled however, that the commission was not under compulsion to transmit elections results electronically and that it could apply manual collation and transition as it was the case in the 2023 presidential election.
Midway into the collation of the 2023 Presidential election results, INEC shut its platform over alleged ‘glitches’ and resorted to manual collation of results .
Some of the amendments contained in the electoral Act of 2022 include that where before the commencement of polls a candidate dies, the election shall be postponed and shall commence within 14 days of the candidate’s death.
It also said where a candidate dies before polls ,but before announcement of final winner/announcement of final results; the implication is that the election will be suspended for not more than 21 days.
It also added that where the election is for a legislative house position, the election shall start afresh and the political party whose candidate died may if it intends to continue to participate in the election ,conduct a fresh primary within 14 days of the death of its candidate and submit the name of a new candidate to replace the dead candidate.
While in the case of Gubernatorial, Presidential and FCT area council elections ,the running mate shall continue with the election and nominate a new running mate.
The new Act amongst other innovations, bit chief of which was technological changes in the electoral processes for the use of electronic devices such as the smart cards readers, electronic voting machines and other technological devices for accreditation processes for voters and in the general conduct of elections .
The Act specifically provided for electronic transmission of election results into the INEC server in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission.
It was consequent upon this,. that our source said,”Atiku Abubakar is watching events and hoping that the National Assembly will enrich the democratic process in Nigeria by mandating INEC to transmit all election results real time and compulsorily . He believes that it is only when that is done, that Nigeria will begin to elect leaders of there choices .
“So he has told us in clear terms that he will not bother to waste his time contesting unless the Electoral Act clearly makes that provision . What is there is not enough, it gives INEC options and that is why the Supreme Court supported that window and allowed the rigged results to stand.”
He continued ,”What we expect now is for Nigerians, the political parties and civil society organisations to insist on further amendment of that portion of the Electoral Act . We know the President will not be willing to assent to it because it will not be to his advantage for the main reason that he can’t win in a free and fair contest”.
“The danger is that should this continues, this country will never have free and fair elections . The moment you give the umpire such large latitude and powers to decide what they want, then we will continue to have this kind of rigged polls.”
He continued: “So that is the position of Atiku Abubakar and we hope the Nigerian people should begin to insist on further amendment of the electrical Act and make it mandatory for INEC to use electronic devices for all elections processes, the complete use of the smart card and full transmission of results electronically “.
Asked if the PDP as the main opposition party will lead the charge for the further amendment of the electoral Act, our source said;
“It will be impossible because the PDP as it stands is not ready to provide strong opposition through its current leadership.
“But it is our hope and prayers that we have the kind of leadership that will offer true opposition, the Hon Ikenga group are doing well, but what is the leadership of the PDP under Damagun doing to support them. Look at the situation in Rivers State, what is the PDP saying.
“It will shock you that a section of the leadership of PDP is more interested in ensuring that the party presents an extremely weak presidential candidate that will pave the way for the APC Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“What they are doing to frustrate Atiku. They want total control of the PDP and use it to trade off . That is the ploy. That is the plans by the so-called G5, especially the one from Benue state who assigned himself a second fiddle to Nyesome Wike where he openly calls him his Oga”.
“Those are the issues but we hope the right things will be done in the interest of Nigerians”, he said.
The Special Adviser on Media to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr Paul Ibe, while reacting to the issue, in a telephone interview, said:
“We have been hearing this, but that is not true.
“Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s primary concern now is on how to find solutions to the various problems facing Nigeria at the moment.
From the problems of terrorism, banditry, kidnappings in all parts of the country to the terrible economic situation in the country coupled with the the high prices of goods and essential services in the country.
“As things stand now, farmers in most parts of the country, especially in the North, do not have access to their farms any longer. The fear of kidnapping has forced our farmers to stay put at their homes. They can’t go to their farms anymore. You and I know the implications of this for the populace as well as the economy of the country.
“These problems and many others are what the my Principal is presently preoccupied with, looking at how they could be solved.
“ The 2027 general election is still a bit far from now. Of course my principal has never hidden his interest and determination at ensuring that our electoral laws undergo the needed reforms. He has been talking about it and pushing for it for long and he is not relenting.But then, we must find solutions to the problems bedeviling the nation before any other thing, “ Ibe said.
