Atiku to military: don’t dabble into elections

PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flagbearer Abubakar Atiku yesterday cautioned the military against dabbling into the general elections slated for February 16 and March 2.

Atiku gave the warning in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, during the PDP presidential and governorship rally.

He said: “The military signed to defend and protect the country, not to defend an individual, as no person is a god.

“Their (military’s) quick response should be to tackle Boko Haram in Borno and the entire northern region, where they are terrorising Nigerians.

“Muhammadu Buhari, please don’t use the military to terrorise the states you don’t like. The military are to protect the territorial integrity of the country.”

Atiku also told the police, the Department of State Service (DSS) and other security agencies to be neutral during the polls.

He said: “The police and the DSS are been reformed. So, we believe they will be neutral during the general election; they will not side any individual.

“The job of the security is to protect us and ensure there is law and order in the land. They are not to interfere in electoral matters; so, they shouldn’t tell us bullshit.”

The PDP candidate said his rally in Taraba State was just “homecoming,” adding it was the first time the people of the northeastern region would be having a presidential candidate.

“Will you go and vote someone from another region?” he asked.

Atiku said the major problem of Taraba and the northeastern states was insecurity.

“I will provide security,” he pledged.

He promised to complete the hydroelectric power project on the Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government Area.

“Everything about the Mambilla hydropower project so far is a scam. I will reconstruct it and every Nigerian will benefit from it, if you elect me as Nigeria’s president,” Atiku said.

He added that “the federal roads shall be taken care of; the natural resources in the country shall be tapped for job creation.”

PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible election, without taking sides.

“With the crowd I have seen here, Taraba State is 100 per cent PDP. All the people watching this rally on the television, Instagram, Twitter, Google and WhatsApp will agree that Taraba is PDP.

“INEC should be very careful in their responses. This election cannot be rigged. If you rig it, you (INEC) will invite crisis, and we don’t want crisis.

“If INEC can conduct free and fair polls, the people will accept whoever emerges, and the country will be peaceful, and that is what we want,” Secondus said.

Governor Darius Ishaku, who is the Taraba PDP governorship candidate, assured Atiku of victory, saying: “Taraba is for Atiku.”

“I have toured the nook and cranny of Taraba for my re-election campaign. And everywhere I went to campaign, the people all know Atiku. This is because he had traversed the state during the Gongola days.

“Atiku will give the people jobs, tackle poverty and revitalise Nigeria’s economy. The APC has failed Nigerians and Atiku is the answer. Atiku, carry go,” Ishaku said.