Don’t go to court, aspirants advise Atiku

•Muslim group urges ex-VP to accept fate

The Forum of Presidential Candidates and Political Parties for Good Governance yesterday joined in the clamour for an amicable resolution to the outcome of the February 23 presidential election.

It urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, who lost the race to President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar, to accept the result and drop the idea of going to court.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Forum, made up of National Chairmen and Presidential candidates of 36 out of the 73 political parties that fielded candidates in the presidential election, urged Atiku to ignore all those asking him to fight on.

Spokesman of the Forum and National Chairman of the Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance (APDA), Shittu Muhammed, said that the group has opened talks with President Buhari and the APC on the possibility of setting up a government of national unity.

Shittu said: “I believe that will be done. We have urged them that irrespective of political party or religion or tribe, the government should pick the best brains across the land and those who can contribute to the development of the country across the nation.”

He further said that even though the former vice president has the constitutional right to seek judicial redress, the Forum believes that he should forget about the option of resorting to litigations in the interest of national peace and security.

The Forum’s spokesman said: “We strongly urge Alhaji Abubakar to drop the legal option in expressing his grievances.

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“This is consistent with the counsel of many well-meaning Nigerians, including Chief Olisa Agbakoba. We also believe that the former vice president has made a mark among Nigerians of means who have positively impacted their communities.

“We think he has a lot more to contribute to developing humanity and promoting peace and progress in our nation, even without holding any political office. At his age, he should now avoid any action and utterances capable of fanning the embers of discord, disagreement and violent conduct. Nigeria is greater than any personal or class interest.

“Atiku has his right and nobody can infringe on his right. That is why we have not said he cannot go to court but we are saying he should not go to court. Instead of wasting that time and maybe draw our developmental stride backwards, let us give our nation time for development and let the government be focused on providing good governance.

“We need to get the country out of the wood and address national issues instead of diverting the attention of the government by going to court.”

Shittu, who stepped down from the presidential race few days to the election, said that part of the Forum’s task would be to convince the President to sign the Electoral Bill into law with a view to preventing the irregularities, rigging and violence that usually characterised elections in the country.

He said: “If that bill, as approved by the National Assembly, had been signed by the President, all the litigations and crimes that we are having would have been taken care of.”

They also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to improve on its operational logistics in Saturday’s governorship and states’ Assembly election across the country.

The electoral umpire must ensure that all Nigerians willing to vote exercise their franchise without any hindrance, the Forum said.

Also yesterday, the former vice president has been urged to accept his defeat as an act of God.

The counsel came from the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria, who said that as a Muslim, Atiku ought to understand the position of the Holy Qur’an over source of power.

According to the group at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, rather than throw the country into chaos over his personal ambition, Atiku should emulate former President Goodluck Jonathan, who accepted defeat and congratulated the winner of the 2015 election, even before the conclusion of ballot counting.

The group, however, urged security agencies to double their efforts at securing the nation during the governorship and state legislature election on Saturday.

Its National Chairman Ibrahim Abdullahi said the group’s position on the conduct and outcome of the election was informed by the reports and comments of local and international observer groups as well as comments of world leaders that congratulated the winner.

He said: “As a Muslim, we expect  him to believe Allah’s statement in the Holy Quran that states, “O Allah Lord of Power (and Rule), You give power to whom You wish, and You strip off power from whom You wish: You endow with honour whom You wish, and You bring low whom You wish. In Your hands is all good; Verily, over all things You have power” (Q.3:26).

“We consider the rejection of the result by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as an attempt to overheat the polity for his personal interest. The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria therefore joins the Sultan of Sokoto and the President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the Jamaatu Nasril Islam and indeed the entire Muslims of Nigeria to welcome the success of President Muhammadu Buhari for the second term of office starting from May 29 this year.”