Atiku warns Nigerians that President Buhari is showing his true colours with controversial ballot-box snatchers statement

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate at the coming 2019 general elections, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that ballot-box snatchers will pay with their lives. Atiku, in a statement on Monday released by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, said Buhari’s statement was incitement to electoral violence and an offence.

Nigeria’s former vice president added that the incumbent President’s statement shows that the “retired general” is only showing his true colours and “complete” disregard for the country’s law. The statement read: “We were shocked to hear General Buhari live on national television threatening to kill people for an offence where no such proscription exists under law. The last time we looked the death-penalty was not a sanction of the 2010 election. In fact, threatening people with death in the context of an election is incitement to electoral violence, which is an offence under that act.

“Once again General Buhari is showing his true colours and complete disregard for our constitution and the laws of this country. He is getting confused with when he was President under military rule. His fig leaf of being a ‘reformed democrat’ has been blown away by this latest statement leaving his democratic credentials as naked as the day he was born I have always been a democrat and defender of our laws and constitution. So rather than make up new penalties on the spot in a press conference, our plans to establish the EFC by using the framework of the 2002 establishing act of the EFCC have been well researched so that we can introduce this new entity within days of assuming office.

“Likewise, we do not believe in the principle of retrospective legislation so it will be empowered to investigate and prosecute electoral malpractice based on the 2010 Electoral Act. Any person considering conducting electoral malpractice, inciting violence or the illegal arrest of political opponents should be put on notice that my administration on entering office will apply the full force of the law on them. We do not believe that one illegal act deserves another so a PDP government will always operate within the framework of our legal structures and laws.”

Do you agree with PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar’s take on President Buhari’s warning to those who try to snatch ballot boxes at Saturday’s election or is Atiku overreacting? Share your opinions about this ongoing debate with us in the comments section.