Atiku insists on pursuing petition against Yar’Adua

In a statement on Wednesday from his media office in Abuja, Atiku dismissed speculations that he intends to withdraw his petition from the tribunal to pave way for the unity government proposed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“The April elections did not meet the minimum standard of free and fair elections. Indeed, both local and international monitors have rightly adjudged the elections the worst ever conducted in our nation’s history.

“I have, in accordance with the provisions of our electoral law, approached the tribunal to nullify the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In doing this, it is my hope that the cause of justice will be served, our democracy strengthened, and the right lessons learned for the future.

“We have to realise that we cannot hope to make meaningful progress as a nation if we continue to sweep things under the carpet. The victims of the fraudulent elections must be able to seek redress through the existing institutions. There must be justice for those who have been robbed and cheated. There cannot be reconciliation and peace without justice,” Atiku said.

The AC Presidential candidate also said there are no short-cuts or quick-fixes to the crisis over the allegedly fraudulent elections.
He said Nigerians must learn to do things properly and in accordance with constitutional provisions.

The pursuit of justice over the flawed elections, he continued, should be devoid of sentiments regarding religious and ethnic affiliations.
 “I am a democrat and a firm believer in the rule of law. I refused to yield to the base instinct of calling my supporters into the streets to protest the massive rigging of the last elections. Rather, I headed for the courts as I have always done whenever I feel aggrieved. I have absolute faith in the independence, impartiality and fairness of the Nigerian judiciary.

“We have to make sure that rigging does not pay again. We have to make sure that the route to power is not one of violence, intimidation, ballot stuffing, ballot-snatching, declaration of fictitious results and misuse and manipulations of the elections commission and security agencies to achieve a pre-determined end.
The only way to make rigging unattractive is to ensure that the courts are able to do their work to return all stolen mandates to their rightful owners”, the former Vice President also said.

“I have nothing personal against Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who contested against me in the last presidential election. He remains my younger brother. But I have a serious problem with the process that brought him to power. I firmly believe that it is not in the larger interest of the country for the irregularities of the last elections to be over-looked. This is why I have decided to pursue justice to the highest court of the land”, he said.