Atiku to security agencies: You must not interfere in these elections

THE presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has warned the security agencies not to allow themselves to be used to interfere in the coming elections.

Addressing a tumultuous crowd at the opposition party presidential rally in Jalingo, Taraba state on Tuesday, he reminded the services that their business is to protect citizens and maintain law and order.

Directing his address to security, he said: “Our Security services you have no business to interfere with our political process. That is not your work. Your work is to make sure that there are peace, law and order. It is not your business to interfere in our political process. This is not your constitutional responsibility at all. Your constitutional responsibility is to make sure that we are all safe.

“Any government that draws the security agencies, the police, the army, the civil defence, that government is doing more harm to your career, is doing more harm to your patriotism and more harm to yourself. Don’t accept that, don’t get involved. Allow us to choose the leaders we want to choose and to elect the people we want to elect. It is not your business whom we elect at all.

“So, I want to caution the security services not to get involved because there are many of us who are also security officers. So, don’t come and tell us bullshit.”

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The former Vice President thanked Taraba people for consistently remaining in the PDP, saying that if elected, he will deal with the problems confronting the state.

He observed that the major problem was insecurity which he said he would tackle to give the state a new lease of life.

He added: “People of Taraba, Thank you very much for your loyalty to PDP. You have been voting PDP since the creation of this State. That is why you have consistent development and consistent progress. I want to urge you to continue to vote for PDP because PDP is Taraba and Taraba is PDP.

“You know I am from Taraba, I know the problems of this state. Number one problem is the issue of security. I commit to you and I promise you that we shall address the issue of insecurity in Taraba, in Northeast and in the whole of Nigeria.

“Number two, I want to promise you that the much awaited Mambilla hydroelectric power, we will complete it so that you will not have the problem of power whatsoever.

“And this is the first time since 1999 when you are going to have a president from this state, you are going to have a president from this zone. So, you want to take it to another state, to another zone. No!!!! God bless you.

“I also want to promise you, your federal roads will be taken care of. Taraba is one of the most endowed States in this country. We are going to exploit it, the natural resources which are in abundance in Taraba so that you can have prosperity so that we can bring employment so that we can create jobs for our teaming men and women.

“You particularly young men and women, make sure you go out there and vote, not just that you go out and vote, make sure that you remain at the polling units, and make sure your votes are counted and entered and secured.”

In his address at the occasion, the National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, reiterated that the coming elections cannot be rigged in Taraba giving the overwhelming presence of PDP supporters in the state.

He, therefore, admonished the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be sure that the process was free, fair and credible in order to avoid problems.

Secondus said: “The crowd here in Jalingo in Taraba has confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt that this is one place that no one can rig election because the entire Taraba is PDP.

“And we want to advise INEC to be careful. You are quick to respond. That is a huge trick. We have seen your trick in Osun, Taraba and we are not convinced. We will continue to insist that this all-important election in the history of our country cannot be rigged.

“If you rig this election, you are inviting crisis. And when we say so, people say why are you saying that? Because we want peace in our country. So, we don’t want any issue, we don’t want violence in our country. We believe that if INEC can conduct a free and fair election, the entire country will be peaceful. And that is why we will continue to hammer that the mandate of INEC is to conduct a free and fair election. “

The party boss also advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to use the military to “terrorise the zones you don’t like,” saying: “As for our security agencies, we have seen the police being reformed, we have seen the DSS being reformed. There are good people there and by the special grace of God, they will not defend an individual. But they will defend the constitution of our country. They are supposed to protect lives and properties.

“We believe that if they take sides, that will cause crisis. And so, they must be neutral.”

Specifically, on INEC, Secondus admonished: “We will continue to hammer that the election must be free and fair. We will continue to address these issues until that day. We believe that when you conduct the free and fair election and we elect a credible candidate, that is the only way to bring peace to this country.

“We believe that anyone that wins from a free and fair process, that person will be the choice of Nigeria. But if you manipulate, if you rig this election, the PDP and others will not accept it.

“INEC, be warned. Your explanation is not satisfactory. This is the way you have said before that you will not compromise but at the end of the day, you compromised.”

He observed that the people of Taraba are with Atiku who he described as the symbol of unity.

While urging them to vote for all the party’s candidates in all the elections, Secondus congratulated new defectors to the PDP, assuring that they will have equal opportunities with existing members.

On his part, Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, assured that the PDP would win all elections in the state.