A loyalist of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, Naja’atu Mohammed, has blamed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for what she called the rigging of the poll in favour of the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Naja’atu, who was a director in charge of civil society organisations in the APC Presidential Campaign Council before her defection to Atiku’s camp, also chided Buhari for alleged abuse of the rule of law, blatant corruption and other similar vices, which she said were the hallmark of governance in the past eight years.
In a statement she personally signed and made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Naja’atu berated Buhari for the open display of his ballot paper after voting, describing the behaviour as an affront to the nation’s secret ballot model of voting.
She said, “The just concluded presidential election has further exposed the inability of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to rule this country fairly and justly; a President that has never shied away from spitting on the laws of the land that have been entrusted to him to serve, and to protect.
“He is the President that has led the most inept and corrupt regime in the history of Nigeria; a President that promised us free and fair elections after putting Nigerians through the most hardship recorded in the history of this country, only for him to fail to deliver on his electoral promises; a President that will openly and brazenly raise his ballot paper before the public to show the world who he has voted for.
“With such an embarrassing action, not only did the President commit an illegal act by going against the secret ballot system enshrined in our electoral law, but also against the electoral law that calls for the end of political campaigns 48 hours before the election.
“These unlawful acts by the President is a clear directive by the President to the Independent National Electoral Commission and to the security agencies on what party to favour and to rig for.