Atiku Abubakar
According to a report by Punch Metro, the presidential candidate of
the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 23 election, Atiku
Abubakar, has said that the current travel ban imposed by the United
States on some politicians in Nigeria has validated his claim that the
presidential election was rigged in favour of the All Progressives
Congress and President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former Vice President in a statement by his media aide, Mr. Paul
Ibe, on Wednesday, said he had maintained after the presidential
election that the poll was not credible.
He further alleged that the leadership under Buhari and his allies engaged in propaganda to deny that the election was rigged.
According to him, after many months of allegedly living in denial, the
Buhari administration was now faced with the truth in the form of a US
visa ban on politicians who undermined Nigeria’s democracy.
He quoted the spokesman of the US State Department, Morgan Ortagus, as
saying, “We condemn those whose acts of violence, intimidation, or
corruption harmed Nigerians or undermined the democratic process.
“The Secretary of State is imposing visa restrictions on Nigerians
believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy
in Nigeria. These individuals have operated with impunity at the expense
of the Nigerian people and undermined democratic principles and human
rights.”
Atiku said the above statement supported his position that the 2019
elections were ‘undermined by the actions of state actors and
institutions.
He said, “We also wish to thank the United States of America
for standing with the Nigerian people against those whose desire is to
truncate our democracy.
“We urge the Nigerian people not to despair. There is hope on the
horizon. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The myriad of
security, economic and social challenges Nigeria currently faces, which
has resulted in our nation becoming the world headquarters for extreme
poverty will, God willing, soon be over, with the prospect of
purposeful and result-oriented leadership.”