The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has kicked against plans for an Interim National Government (ING), saying that the concept is alien to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
He also promised the return of peace to the North East, especially Yobe State, if elected President.
Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation, in a statement on Wednesday, urged the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign to perish their contemplations or discussions of setting up an Interim National Government as such does not have any place whatsoever in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) as well as Nigeria’s democratic practice as a nation.
The statement, which was signed by Kola Olugbondiyan, also advised the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign to immediately perish its narratives or demands for the postponement of the 2023 general election, adding that “the February 25 Presidential election date must be sacrosanct, given that Nigerians are ready to go to the polls where they will elect Atiku Abubakar as the next President of our country.”
It also stated that “This position is predicated on the reports of sinister plots by the Tinubu Campaign to create situations and narratives to justify its reported demands for the postponement of the 2023 general election.
“Our Campaign has also received intelligence of a very dangerous plot by the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign to continue to orchestrate unrest across the country aimed at truncating the electoral process, triggering a constitutional crisis and foisting an undemocratic situation of Interim National Government on our country, having realised that it has no chance in the election.
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“These reported moves by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign are not only cowardly but also confirm that Tinubu is intimidated by the overwhelming popularity of the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and as such seeks to scuttle the election.”
Atiku, who was in Yobe State as part of his campaigns ahead of the February 25th Presidential election, assured that he would ensure that total peace was restored to the troubled North East region, if elected President.
“Do you want peace to return to Yobe? We promise you, if you vote for PDP, peace will return to Yobe.
“We will make sure that our schools are re-opened, so that our children will continue to go to school. We also promised to empower our young men and women, by giving them capital, so that they can set up their own businesses; so that they can also live a successful life. If you want that, vote for PDP.
“We promised to reopen the borders so that businesses between us and our neighbours can flourish very well.”
He lampooned the APC Presidential candidate Bola Tinubu who he said “has not been campaigning on issues but only engaging in incitements, brawling, vituperations on constituted authorities, creating a parallel Army code-named ‘Jagaban Army,’ pushing Nigerians to insurrection and directing his followers to fight for power and unleash violence during the elections.
“The public can further comprehend the full import of Tinubu’s directive to his followers in London when he declared that ‘political power is not going to be served in a restaurant, it is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all cost; fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run with it”.
According to him, “Such inciting comments are at the root of the violent attacks on innocent Nigerians as well as facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by APC thugs in various parts of our country.
“Part of this plot is the reported interception, mopping up and hoarding of new Naira notes by the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign for purpose of vote buying leading to the biting scarcity of new Naira notes and consequential suffering and hardship across the country.
“It is indeed pathetic that Tinubu, who ought to know that the 1999 Constitution, upon which our democracy derives its existence, is the one reported to be pushing for a situation of an Interim National Government (ING), just because it is clear to him that he cannot win the February 25, 2023 Presidential election.
