Atiku’s aide defends ADC primary, accuses APC of manipulating figures

By Dickson Omobola

Media adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Paul Ibe, has insisted that the presidential primary election of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, which produced Atiku as the winner, was free, fair and credible.

Ibe said, unlike the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which allegedly manufactured figures during its primary elections, ADC slowed down the election process and gave its election petitions committee the opportunity to investigate allegations of corruption after they emerged.

Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise TV programme, Thursday, he also urged Nigerians to decide whether they would choose another four years of pain and tears in 2027 or choose Atiku instead.

He said: “Every election, every combination comes with people either disputing the process or the outcome. Even children of the same umbilical cord have disagreements. What I am trying to say is that it is legitimate for people to raise observations about the process or the outcome of an election. However, what is important is that the ADC has the mechanism to deal with this (allegations of corruption). There is an elections petition committee in place.

“Recall that when these allegations were made, the process was slowed down. That was done to give an opportunity to the committee to look at the allegations that have been made because we are not like the APC that are already manufacturing figures as a dress rehearsal for a possible … in 2027.

“But we are not doing that in the ADC. Look at our process, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, monitored the primaries, and we tried to ensure that if we are going to be able to deliver on our promises, if we are going to be taken seriously by Nigeria, we need to ensure that our process is free, fair and credible. And that is what has happened. Allegations were made, and until those allegations are substantiated, they are allegations.”

On the reasons Nigerians should vote for Atiku in 2027, he said: “Every election has peculiarities, and so also will be the 2027 elections. This is an election that will be a referendum on the incompetence and the cluelessness that have been the hallmark of the government of Bola Tinubu.

“Nigerians have to make a determination whether they are going to have another four years of these pains and tears. So, it is up to us as Nigerians to make that determination.”

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