Election: Buhari Disowns el-Rufai, Keyamo, Shehu on Threats to Foreign Observers
PDP: Broadcast was misuse of the platform for shopworn campaign address
President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday clearly disowned the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-rufai who had threatened that foreign observers who tried to interfere in Nigeria’s election would return to their countries in body bags.
The spokesman of the president’s campaign organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, and presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, had equally threatened international observers not to intervene in the country’s election.
The remarks had generated serious concerns from members of the international community.
Buhari Thursday dissociated his government from the threats and acts of intimidation against foreign observers.
He assured that all foreign observers will be protected during and after the election.
He also assured that the general election beginning with the presidential election Saturday will be free and fair.
In a nationwide broadcast, Buhari said “Let me at this point; reaffirm the commitment of the federal government to the conduct of free and fair elections in a safe and peaceful atmosphere. Just yesterday, I signed the Peace Accord alongside 72 other presidential candidates.
“I want to assure all Nigerians, the diplomatic community and all foreign election observers of their safety and full protection. Any comments or threats of intimidation from any source do not represent the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The President had also appealed to Nigerians for his election based on the achievements so far recorded.
But reacting to the President’s speech, the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan said it was laced with a lot of fabrications of false performances.
He said in a satetemant: “It is ludicrous that at a time President Buhari should be remorseful and apologise for his failures that led to the biting economic hardship, hunger, job losses, and killings and escalated bloodletting in our country, under his watch, he chose to engage in a last minute attempt to sway Nigerians with falsehood.
“Nigerians watched a President Buhari, who, having seen the handwriting on the wall struggled with false economic growth figures and sought to blackmail the people with claims of non-existent food security and false assurances of safety in a nation heavily plagued by unemployment, loss of jobs, poverty as well as escalated insurgency”.
Similarly, the spokesman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, said the broadcast was misuse of the platform for shopworn campaign address.
“Typical Buhari and APC. When the Nigerian public was advised to tune in to a national broadcast by the president, the country was expecting a presidential broadcast not a misuse of the platform for shopworn campaign address by the presidential candidate of the APC.
“But then what do you expect from a president who appears to have lost all sense of political propriety.
“Remember, he saw nothing wrong in inviting foreign nationals to invade the country and help mobilise against his fellow nationals. All the broadcast stations that were deceitfully made to believe they were hooking up to a non-partisan address should immediately proceed to charge the APC presidential candidate for the airtime they expended. “In the alternative, we are demanding a commensurate gratis exposure for our candidate, President in waiting Atiku Abubakar” .
About Post Author
