INEC Server Controversy: Atiku denies planning street protest

The runner up in February’s presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, has denied planning to lead a street protest over the controversy surrounding the election result.

Mr Abubakar of the PDP is challenging the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC at the election tribunal.

One of his main grounds of contesting the result is that the officially declared result is different from that on the computer server of the electoral commission, INEC.

INEC has, however, denied that it had such server for the election.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, on Sunday, Mr Abubakar said reports he was planning to lead a protest on the matter was false.

Read Mr Ibe’s full statement below.

Statement in circulation on INEC Server is handiwork of mischief makers to mar Atiku Abubakar’s spotless pro-democratic record, lay the groundwork on false charges against him

Abuja, Nigeria, 16 June 2019: Our attention has been drawn to a statement circulating in a section of the media, to the effect that Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of PDP in the 2019 presidential election and Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007 plans to lead a street protest in the event that the election petition tribunal rules against his him and his party on the issue of a server for the Independent National Electoral Commission.

I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies. It is the work of mischief makers who want to mar his spotless pro-democratic record and lay the ground work for their threatened actions against him on false charges of being a threat to national security.

For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku Abubakar believes in the Rule of Law and in the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In his almost four decades in politics, he has never taken action or spoken words against democracy and will not start now.

Atiku Abubakar and his team have confidence in God and thus call on those bent on mischief to have the fear of God and retrace their steps. Democracy has come to stay in Nigeria. The culture of fear being created now cannot rein in our democracy. Nigeria and Nigerians have a consistent history of outlasting tyranny and will continue to do so by the grace of God.

Paul Ibe

Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar

Presidential candidate of PDP & Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007.