candidate.Buhari urged those involved in the supplementary elections to go to the
electorates and seek for supports.
The President was reacting following insinuation that he may have been
trying to arm-twist the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,
to help second term seeking Governors of the All Progressive Congress,
APC, who are having hard times securing reelection.
INEC had ordered for supplementary elections in Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa,
Plateau and Bauchi states where the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP appears
to have been leading. The electoral body also suspended voting in Rivers
state citing violence.
But a statement signed by Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, said the
president has no interest in helping to change results or favor any
candidate.
The statement reads:
“The Presidency has cautioned against a lot of the hate spewing,
incitement to violence and the polarizing statements by so-called
political leaders as a number of states brace up for supplementary
elections prescribed by the National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“The Presidency also rejects unfair and ridiculous criticisms of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s apparent disinterest in the upcoming elections in some
states by party members who wrongfully assume that the President will
abuse power by changing results to favour them.
“Past Presidents of Nigeria were known to interfere in inconclusive
elections, and that is why party members appear to be upset that the same
thing is not happening now, but President Buhari is a different kind of
leader. He swore to defend the constitution and will not veer off from
that.
“The constitution of Nigeria gives the President no such powers. It is
unfair and ridiculous to criticise President Buhari for not going against
the constitution.
“Party members in states where there will be supplementary elections then
need to be reminded that they need to work hard to earn their people’s
votes, rather than expect President Buhari to manipulate INEC in their
favour.
“Interestingly, while members of the ruling APC party were criticising the
President for not interfering on their behalf, members of the opposition
were condemning the President based on their assumptions that he would
definitely interfere, as many in the opposition did while in power.
“Under President Buhari, INEC had been and will be completely independent
throughout the elections, free from any interference.
“President Buhari is a man of conviction, and the manipulation of election
results goes against everything he stands for INEC is completely in
charge.”