The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have slipped into post-election depression and hallucination after the claim that the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated he (Atiku) ‘won’ the presidential election by 1.6million votes.
The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja that Atiku’s constant reference to the INEC server should raise concerns.
Issa-Onilu said it was becoming apparent that he (Atiku) and the PDP were up for some ‘dastard activities’ targeted at jeopardizing the INEC database and internal storage system.
He said the APC recalled the widespread reported cases of several programmed card readers that were allegedly retrieved from some PDP agents and the purported failed attempt to hack the INEC database in the lead-up to the then postponed presidential election.
The party called on the INEC and the security agencies to be on red alert to ensure that Atiku and the other desperate characters in the PDP were not able to execute their alleged evil plans.
“Following the outcome of the Presidential Election, during which a vast majority of Nigerians reaffirmed their unshaken belief in President Muhammadu Buhari to continue to steer the affairs of the country for another four years, we have watched in disbelief and utter amusement how the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have engaged in series of circus shows to cheer up their crestfallen and disillusioned members.
“While the APC is not oblivious of the PDP’s antics to discredit the credible presidential electoral process, acknowledged by local and international observers, we sympathise with Atiku for the crushing defeat handed him by President Buhari through the votes of Nigerians.
“Judging by Atiku and PDP’s recent utterances and actions, it is now clear that they have slipped into severe depression and post-defeat hallucination that have left many Nigerians questioning their current state of mind.
“After weeks of dilly-dallying, the PDP has woken up to the stark reality of its electoral defeat and decided to follow the constitutional path of filing a petition at the Election Tribunal.
“However, of all the prayers of Atiku before the Election Tribunal, which are at best hollow, the most ridiculous is his claim that the server of the INEC indicated he ‘won’ the Presidential Election by 1.6million votes.
“A few questions would suffice: Is this phantom figure of 1.6million votes Dubai-invented? Was the result sold to Atiku by his numerous marabouts, who we understand, had assured him that the last election was a done deal for him?
Most importantly, we note Atiku’s consistent reference to the “INEC server” as if he is the custodian of that platform. We remind the Atiku and PDP that Nigerians saw through the devious schemes aimed at thwarting their will.
“Consequently, majority of the voters handed them a harsh verdict – that verdict remains sacrosanct,” the statement read in part.
