Atiku’s victory now unstoppable ― Saraki

Senate President of Nigeria, Abubakar Bukola Saraki has declared that the victory of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the February 16 presidential election is certain and unstoppable.

He also said the anti-corruption stance of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was an election gimmick aimed at hoodwinking Nigerians to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate in the election.

He made the declaration against the backdrop of the recent endorsement of Atiku by the leadership of the various ethnic nationality groups across the country, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze and PANDEF, Northern Elders’ Forum and the Middle Belt Forum

Saraki, in a statement issued on Wednesday by of the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PDP PCC), said the endorsement by the groups was “an incontrovertible validation of the results of the scientific polls by the London Economist Intelligence Unit and the William and Associate team.”

The Senate President, who also doubled as the Director General of the PDP PCC,

described the results of the scientific polls, as the true reflections of the wish of the electorate.

He said, with the latest developments, Nigerians have taken a position that the false claim of integrity and anti-corruption by President Muhammadu Buhari was nothing but an election gimmick.

He further said the three major pillars namely, the economy, security, and anti-corruption, upon which the APC presidential candidate hinged the campaign for his re-election, have collapsed totally in the face of realities on the ground.

“The economy has been thoroughly mismanaged. Insecurity has become more widespread and beyond their control, while the government encourages and nurtures corruption from within,” he added.

Saraki also expressed confidence that Atiku would win the election in a free and fair contest, based on the scientific forecasts by the two groups and “the evident massive nationwide support for Atiku by Nigerian electorate.”

He, therefore, called on Nigerians to take a cue from the gale of endorsements and predictions by credible groups in favour of Atiku and vote wisely.

“The endorsements are like a tonic to the work of the campaign organisation to intensify our efforts as it is a testament that we are employing the right approach and techniques to market our candidate to Nigerians.

“We have been able to change the narratives. We have debunked a lot of lies and rumours being peddled around against our candidate and Nigerians are now better informed.

“Leaders of the ruling party knows that they could no longer deceive Nigerians because we have allowed the people to know that they are all pretenders with their claim of integrity and anti-corruption posture.

“The fact that Nigerians expressed favourable opinions while credible private agencies were conducting their research showed that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will defeat the incumbent, President Buhari, Saturday next week”, the Senate President said.

It would be recalled that five socio-political organisations across all the geopolitical zones in the country namely, the Northern Elders Forum, Pan-Niger Delta Forum, Middle Belt Forum, Ohaneze Ndigbo and Afenifere had, on Sunday, endorsed Atiku Abubakar.

The leaders of the groups, including Profesor Ango Abdullahi, Chief Edwin Clark, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Chief John Nwodo and Mr Bitrus Pogu, had, during the endorsement, urged Nigerians to vote for Atiku, saying he would bring the desired change to the country.

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Before the endorsements, fieldwork conducted by the Pollster, Williams and Associates, revealed that Atiku would defeat President Buhari in the February 16 presidential election.

The agency had, in similar fieldwork in 2015, predicted the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in theatre last presidential election, using the same methodology it employed now.

Similarly, a forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit in Africa revealed that Buhari would be defeated by Atiku in next week’s presidential poll.