NUPENG, PTD to Atiku: shelve legal action over poll

The Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD), branch  of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers  (NUPENG), has appealed to the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to rescind his decision to contest the outcome of last weekend presidential election won by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the result announced by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Professor Mahmood Yakubu, Buhari, the APC candidate,  scored a total votes of  15, 191, 847 to defeat  Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who polled 11, 262, 978.

The PDP candidate has since disclosed his intention to challenge the result of the election at the tribunal.

But the  national chairman of the Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD),  branch of NUPENG, Otunba Oladiti Salimon,  urged the former vice- president to reverse his decision.

Oladiti,  in a statement  in Abuja,  advised the main opposition party to take advantage of President Buhari’s pledge to run an inclusive government as very reassuring.

The NUPENG boss expressed concern that threats in certain quarters to form a parallel government was inimical to peace and further admonished all political actors to work for national cohesion and unity.

The statement reads in part:  “ The PTD hereby calls on the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to accept the results and accept the election of Muhammadu Buhari as the President. We further call on the PDP to take advantage of the president’s pledge to run an inclusive government. The union also condemns calls for  a parallel government or mobilisation of the masses for   disobedience to constituted authority.

“We join other peace-loving Nigerians and friends of the country to call for unity, peace and order. We are also committed to the indivisibility of the country and dissociate ourselves from plans and orchestration to be used for violence or mass action.

“ Consequently, we implore all losers, irrespective of their parties, to rein in their supporters and avoid circumstances in which they may resort to acts inimical to public safety.

“We further urge such political players to use legal processes open to them as citizens to pursue their legitimate complaints relating to alleged infractions. We restate our confidence in the Nigerian judicial system and hope that it will serve as a neutral arbiter in the event that cases relating to the electoral exercise are brought before it.

“Our constitution and the electoral act are clear on ways and means aggrieved persons can seek redress in situations they strongly believe that their chances to have won their positions were undermined.

“We must be reminded that Nigeria is our only country. We must do all within our capacity to keep it peaceful. We will support efforts in this regard and once again persuade our political actors to work for national cohesion and unity.”

The union called on President Buhari not to disappoint Nigerians who voted for him for a fresh mandate as it noted that the electorate were deserving of good governance in appreciation of their trust in his leadership.

“We urge President Buhari not to fail Nigerians in his commitment to the common good for the greatest number of our people. It is that confidence in him  that has earned him their unwavering support despite the elite gang-up. He has not disappointed them.

“A lot still needed to be done in the area of the provision  of critical infrastructure to stimulate economic growth, provision of jobs for the army of our unemployed youths and security of lives and property of the average Nigerian.”