The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed the effort of the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) to defend the outcome of the recent exercise as an attempt to confuse the country.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the former vice president, alleged that the EIU was hired by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to produce its report.
Titled “Economist Intelligence Unit Prediction: When Brigandage Meets Mercantilism,” the statement maintained that despite the preponderance of issues raised against the election’s credibility, the EIU has engaged in ballot laundering for the ruling party.
While sounding a note of warning to the organization, Atiku counseled it to respect Nigeria’s democracy and the institution of our judiciary.
The statement reads: “We have taken a careful study of the report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and we regret to say that the report is an embarrassment to the think tank body.
“What is also obvious in the report is that it is a merchant purchased by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to confuse the country in an uphill task to defend the sham election of February 25, which only retained the ruling party in office.
“Notwithstanding the preponderance of salient issues raised on the credibility of the so-called election by local and foreign observers, it is disappointing that the EIU would condescend to ballot laundering for the ruling party in the most populous Black Country.
“While we wish to express our intention to apply cautious restraint in responding to the EIU on this disgraceful outing, let this be considered as a stern warning to the body to respect Nigeria’s democracy and the institution of our judiciary and that next time, they should be more circumspect before they jump on any trade by barter jaundiced reports about Nigeria.
“However, to the APC that is going cap in hand begging for legitimacy at all impossible places, we wish to remind them of a popular local proverb that: “he who steals a drum from the palace carries the unenviable burden of where to beat it.”
“A government that goes around to buy anything at sight to award legitimacy unto itself leaves much to the people’s imagination.
“President Tinubu and his team of lawyers had all the opportunity at the court to present his case of legitimacy before the parties closed their cases at the election petition tribunal. But rather than explore that opportunity, his lawyers were busy signing counter motions on subpoenas that seek to shed more light on his personal information.
“We, therefore, consider it a breach of due process anything that is being done outside the walls of the court that seeks to make short-circuited testimony about the outcome of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.”
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