Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Atiku Abubakar has said that the general elections in the country
should hold as scheduled next month, and that government must not tinker
with the option of postponing the timelines for the elections.
“Yes, we have a problem with the distribution of PVCs but the position of
my party, the APC is that since we have a voters’ register then that
should be used in conducting the elections. I also believe there is enough
time between now and the elections to issue everyone with their PVCs,”
Atiku said shortly on arrival to the country.
The former Vice President, who landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport on Thursday after a medical vacation trip, said the call made by
the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, for a postponement of the
elections as scheduled next month, was uncalled for and portends a
dangerous signal about the intentions of the Federal Government to conduct
a free, fair and credible poll in February.
Atiku was quoted to have said in the statement signed by his media office
that he is “strong, healthy and happy” to be back to lend his support to
the train of change sweeping across the country.
“The duty of participating in the process of change which our great party,
the APC is committed to supersedes every other consideration. For me,
participating in this campaign is a call to national duty.
“It is a duty which we cannot afford to compromise upon and we must press
into the consciousness of those at the helms of affairs that it is morally
dubious and socially unacceptable to extend the dates of the elections by
a single day from the scheduled timelines,” the former Vice President
said.