Come to terms with your loss, Atiku urged

The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the Feb. 23 election to come to terms with his loss at the election.

The BMO gave the advice in a statement signed by its Chairman Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Cassidy Madueke on Friday in Abuja, adding that Atiku should stop whipping up primordial sentiments over his loss.

The organisation said Atiku was still living in denial over his loss in the election.

It noted that since his loss to President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku had been laying claims to victory and holding clandestine meetings with sectional heads.

This, the BMO said was clearly a ploy by Atiku to instigate political disaffection in a section of the country that gave him a large chunk of the votes he got on Feb. 23.

“We at BMO see the move as unbecoming of a former Vice President who, in spite of losing by almost four million votes to a more popular President Buhari, still managed to get reasonable votes,“ it said.

The BMO noted that the outcome of the election showed that majority of Nigerians rejected the variant of restructuring which Atiku attempted to sell to the people during his campaign.

It noted that even after an overwhelming majority of registered voters across the country turned their backs on Atiku and his party, he believes he could still use restructuring as a gambit to poison the minds of people.

The BMO added that Atiku should realise that now that elections were over and he had opted to exercise his democratic right to seek redress in court, he should not be seen in a gathering where comments like no restructuring, no Nigeria were made.

It said it was convinced that Atiku’s loss showed that more Nigerians were not interested in the type of restructuring Edwin Clark and members of Afenifere were mouthing.

The organisation stressed that while it recognises the constitutional rights of people like Edwin Clark, Ayo Adebanjo and John Nwodo who were leaders in their own right, they should not go beyond their boundary.

It maintained that elders from some parts of the country should desist from making statements capable of fanning embers of hatred and division.

It added that such elders should not allow the bitterness of backing the losing horse in the election to becloud their paternal instincts.

“The nation’s unity should be paramount at this time, and if there are wounds that needed to be healed after a bitter political campaign, this is the time for it, not for sabre-rattling, “ the BMO said.

It added that while some sectional leaders had a right to support Atiku Abubakar to press on with his election petition at the tribunal, they should also respect the right of the majority of Nigerians.

The organisation noted that majority of Nigerians were satisfied with the progress the country was making under President Muhammadu Buhari, and therefore, voted for him to ensure continuity.(NAN)