Elections Not A Do-Or-Die Affair: Atiku challenges Buhari to prove his words with actions

The PDP Presidential candidate for 2019, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday challenged incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari to prove his New Year message in which he said the 2019 General Elections should not be a do-or-die affair with actions and those of his supporters and the service chiefs.
While Atiku agreed with Buhari, saying that leaders should lead by example by preaching peace at all times; he challenged the President that it is not enough for him to condemn do-or-die politics if he cannot control the activities of overzealous aides, including the country’s security chiefs, especially, the Inspector General of Police whose activities lately gives him away as a partisan player in negation of his constitutional role.

Accordingly, the PDP Presidential candidate advised Buhari to go beyond lip service and urge security chiefs to be politically neutral during the elections; adding that “their loyalty to the constitution doesn’t include putting themselves at the service of the ruling party at the expense of free and fair elections.”

Atiku advised Buhari to follow the example of former President Goodluck Jonathan, who, in 2015, walked the talk of the 2015 elections not being worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Atiku recalled that Jonathan lived by his noble words and statesmanship when he conceded defeat without hesitation, thereby contributing to peaceful conduct of election.

He also told Buhari that it is not enough to preach peace when he cannot publicly condemn the violent behaviour of his supporters who harass, molest and publicly humiliate his opponents and their supporters.