ADAMAWA: ATIKU WANTS AC GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE SWORN-IN ...To Appeal Ruling

Former Vice President: Atiku Abubakar

Following the annulment the election of Mr. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State, Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said that the Election Petitions Tribunal in Adamawa State should have ordered the swearing in of Action Congress governorship candidate, Ibrahim Bapetel as the winner of the April 14, election.

Atiku said the Action Congress in Adamawa State would appeal the decision of the tribunal to nullify the election of Murtala Nyako without declaring AC Candidate Ibrahim Bapetel the winner of the election.

“We commend the tribunal for its bold and courageous decision. At the same time, we are dissatisfied that they have not asked that the AC Candidate, Ibrahim Bapetel who won the election be sworn in as governor.”

The AC, Atiku said, won the election in Adamawa, despite the last minute disqualification of its candidate, Ibrahim Bapetel adding that the ballot papers are there in case there is a need for a recount.

He however said the decision of the Adamawa Tribunal headed by Justice Olawole Akinwalere had reinforced his belief that the nation’s judiciary possessed the inherent capacity and will to right the wrongs unleashed on the people of Nigeria by Obasanjo, the PDP, and Iwu, in the name of elections in April.

“Much as we praise them” Atiku said, “they should have awarded the governorship to us because we won”.

“The cancellation of the election has nevertheless, vindicated our faith in the judiciary. At the national level, we shall pursue the presidential election petition to a logical conclusion. No amount of pressure on me would make me to abandon my decision to challenge the outcome of the April election,” Atiku said.

This particular decision on the governorship election in Adamawa underscored our oft-stated position that the Adamawa elections were manipulated by Obasanjo and the PDP to humiliate me by denying me a political base at home.

Murtala Nyako, a retired NavalOfficer and National President of the Farmers Association
of Nigeria, was elected on the platform of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) in the April 14, 2007 elections.

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