By Our Correspondent
#TrackNigeria – Former Head of State and Head of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has debunked reports that the Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party,PDP,Atiku Abubakar gave the Peace Committee any conditions during their meeting.
General Abdulsalami, as he is fondly called, made the clarification Friday while speaking with the State House Press Corps after a meeting of the Peace Committee with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Asked what was his reaction to the conditions reportedly given by Atiku’s party the PDP, Abdulsalami said, “Atiku presented his grievances and his observations, he did not present any conditions, he gave his complaints, which we have come to present and discuss with Mr. President to see what can be done.”
Speaking further on the work of his committee after last weekend’s Presidential elections, Abdulsalami said: “The Presidential election result has raised a lot of dust and the people feel aggrieved. Yesterday I met the PDP Presidential candidate and his party….., Our(Peace Committee’s) concern is about Nigeria.
“And in order to listen to their grievances and what they think has gone wrong and we are here today to see his Excellency the President in order to relay the fears and concerns of the PDP; and Mr. President .. (listened) to us and has taken note of what we have told him.
He also advised that “Nigerians should please on behalf of this country and all of us, regardless, we need peace. This country is very, very important to all of us. We are not talking about self interest, we are talking about the interest of the country. I keep saying, whenever there is violence, we are not going to see violence in Ikoyi, in the Villa and you will not find violence in the various government houses in this country. It is always the poor man that gets to kill themselves and so on.
“So, please, yes, as much as we have grievances, I am glad that the PDP say
they are going to court to challenge the process, l think this is the right way
to go about it, and l hope and pray that we will maintain this.”
A statement by Atiku’s Media Aide, Paul Ibe Friday confirmed that indeed he held a meeting with the National Peace Committee.
According to Ibe: “Ahead of the 9 March governorship and state house of assembly election, the Atiku Abubakar team called for the unconditional release of all those illegally arrested and detained for political reasons. They also called for the non deployment of the military in compliance with constitutional provisions and the subsisting judgement of the court.
“The issue of Atiku Abubakar and his party’s recourse to legitimate actions to reclaim his stolen mandate was not discussed at the meeting.
Atiku also restated that as a democrat, he will follow laid down constitutional and democratic procedures to challenge the electoral malfeasance committed by APC in cohort with INEC.
The media aide said Atiku further urged Nigerians to come out en masse and vote in the 9 March gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections for the PDP candidates and stay to defend their votes up to collation point.
