Atiku’ll Reclaim Mandate in Court, Says Campaign Group

Atiku’ll Reclaim Mandate in Court, Says Campaign Group

By Kayode Fasua

Following the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the February 23 presidential election, the Atiku/Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation has vowed that its principal, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will reclaim “his stolen mandate” in the court.

Speaking on the fallout of the poll in an interview with THISDAY, an Assistant Coordinator for the organisation, Mr. Olumide Ogunkua, said, “this injustice will not go unchallenged.”

Ogunkua who said Atiku was already briefing his legal team, noted, “we have unassailable facts to prove that Atiku was robbed at critical stages of the electioneering process, and that is why, as a law-abiding citizen, he will proceed to court to seek redress.

“We are aware of how the powers-that-be used thuggery, intimidation of voters, and the art of framing up leaders of the PDP, to conceal a well rehearsed rigging strategy.”

Ogunkua said the election had been foreclosed by those who relied on rigging to win, with its postponement at the wee hours of election day on February 16, stressing, that “we will not be dismayed in demanding for justice before the law court, as we cannot trade violence with violence.”

He said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had been duly nurtured by former President Goodluck Jonathan, “who demonstrated his love for peace in the manner he conceded victory to then All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Buhari (retd).”

“But in our case, rather than take to the streets protesting the brazen theft of our mandate, we are taking a cue from former President Jonathan who is an apostle of peace, by quietly proceeding to court with our facts and figures,” Ogunkua averred.

Meanwhile, a pressure group in the Ondo State PDP-the Sunshine Youth Advocates (SYA), has commended security agents for allegedly foiling an attempt to rig the Ondo Central senatorial election in favour of the immediate past governor of the state, Dr. Rahman Mimiko.

The group, in a statement by its president, Mr. Seyi Ologunaye, and secretary, Miss Ola Bello, claimed that ballot boxes filled with votes, were Akure-bound for final collation, but that they were curiously returned to Ondo, allegedly by some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mimiko, who hails from Ondo West local council, is the senatorial candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). He lost to his PDP opponent, Senator Ayo Akinyelure.

Commending the security agents, the SYA stated, “Security reports from credible sources reached us that ballot boxes for the senatorial election being brought from Ondo to Akure were suddenly returned after the INEC officials received a telephone call to retreat immediately.

“The whole world knew that the PDP senatorial candidate in the Ondo Central district was already leading with a wide margin, and that he was being trailed by the former governor, who came a distant third.

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