Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential campaign organization, Buba Galadima, has challenged President Muhammadu Buhari, openly to come out and swear with the holy Quran and Bible that he (Buhari) and members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, did not rig the February 23 presidential election.
Galadima who believed that the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar won the election, noted that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, colluded with APC to rig the election in favour of Buhari.
He also submitted in an interview with The Sun, that the president knew he was going to rig the election and removed Ex-Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen and replaced him with Tanko Muhammed.
His words, “Buhari and the APC leadership knew they were going to rig the elections, and that was why Buhari refused to sign the Electoral Act, and that was why he also suspended the former Chief Justice of the Federation, Walter Onnoghen, and replaced him with Tanko Muhammed. The election was not free and fair at all.
“I boldly challenge Buhari and other APC leaders to swear with the Holy Quran, and the Bible if they were sure that Buhari won that election. If they are sure that Buhari defeated Atiku , Buhari ,and APC leaders should take up my challenge. I’m throwing this challenge openly, I’m making it public, and I’m waiting for any of them who is bold and sure of himself to take up this challenge.
“The election was a big fraud. Buhari and APC intimidated INEC, and unfortunately instead of asserting itself INEC succumbed to the pressure from Buhari, and the APC. 2019 general election was a big setback for our democracy because Buhari , and APC hijacked both the INEC, and the whole electoral process. It’s good Atiku had gone to court, and I believe that all hope is not lost for him.
It was obvious that INEC compromised. There was nothing to show that INEC was truly independent during the elections. INEC was only independent in name during the elections as it surrendered its mandate to the whims and caprices of Buhari and APC. With the way it conducted the election, INEC will enter the Guiness Book of Records as having organized the worst election in Nigeria’s history. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and his officials didn’t live up to expectations.
Very unfortunately, INEC didn’t conceal its bias towards the opposition as elections were being cancelled or being declared inconclusive in places where the opposition especially PDP was leading APC. Some of the states where this evil practice was carried out include Rivers, Benue, Bauchi, Ogun, Plateau and others. INEC’s action was very shameful. It was as if INEC was working for APC.
What all these clearly show again is that Buhari is not fighting corruption. Corruption is not only about stealing money. There are other things that you do that amounts to corruption. Rigging election is another form of corruption.
“This is why I challenged them earlier to swear by the Holy Quran and the Bible if they were not involved in rigging the election. All APC leaders including Buhari, their hands are not clean over these elections. Then if you know that somebody is corrupt, and you protect such a person that means that you are also corrupt. APC is a nest of corrupt elements.
“Again, I don’t have respect for Nigerian professors with the way they performed as Returning Officers during the elections. Their performance was nothing to write home about. You wonder whether these people are from the ivory towers with the way they conducted themselves during the elections.”
Good article