Atiku causes panic in Presidency 

There are emerging indications that the presidency and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are getting engulfed in panic and palpable tension over the petition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2019 general elections challenging the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the Feb. 23 presidential poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Investigations by National Daily showed that the president and the ruling APC have been seeking means even outside the legal proceedings for self-defence and proving the legitimacy of the INEC declared APC victory at the polls.

Accordingly, the APC government has CV been battling with legitimacy crisis since the general elections which have shifted from the INEC to the courts.

National Daily inquiry further found that the APC government has been noticeably engaged in political activities that tend look like the ruling party is still preparing for elections. The party has been widely observed to be struggling to convince the elite community of the policies and achievements of the APC government both within and outside Nigeria.

Some stakeholders in the Nigerian project gave expressed the view that such political communication is most suitable as pre-election activity. They argued that labouring in the campaign to convince stakeholders on the achievements of the APC government in the post-elections period could translate to a measure of trepidation and uncertainty that may be latently troubling the president and APC leaders in the post-elections period when they being confronted with a comicatef petition by Atiku and the Opposition PDP.

 Sources from the ruling APC revealed to National Daily that President Muhammadu Buhari and APC leaders were shocked by the potency of fight Atiku and the PDP gave the ruling party and government in the 2019 general elections. “They seldom expected that Atiku would have such political capital and prowess to give President Buhari such fight with the incumbency powers at his behest,” the party source who sought  anonymity told National Daily.

Again, the evidence at the disposal of Atiku in the legal tussle at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal was said to be intimidating.

Apparently, the APC government have hosted diplomats of several countries in Nigeria briefing them of the achievements of the President Buhari and APC government in about the past four years.

From the domestic environment, the APC government took the accountability campaign directly to the door-step of foreign governments and personalities.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, recently embarked on foreign tour of Europe and America on seeming image laundry of the APC government, harping on the achievements of President Buhari and the credibility of the 2019  general elections in Nigeria.

The Information Minister had told his audience in the selected countries he visited that President Buhari has recorded success in handling the insecurity crisis in Nigeria, improved the economy and fougth corruption. However, the international community read the frequent reports of the ‘ war’ in northern Nigeria where various brands of merchants of violence engage the Nigerian Army, The Nigeria Police in gun battle in Zamfara, Katsina and other states in addition to the Boko Haran fighters in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. The Nigerian Air Force have also been deployed into the ‘war’ to engage in aerial attacks and clear spaces for the ground forces.

Some analysts have argued that violence from non-state actors to the magnitude  that necessitate the deployment of a country’s Armed Forces qualifies for a war status anywhere in the world. While such is going on in northern Nigeria, the Information Minister still talk of achievements in the international community than seek help.

Moreover, Alhaji Lai Mohammed also told the audience he interacted with during the foreign tour the the that the 2019 general elections in Nigeria were free, fair and credible. He pointed out that even international personalities who were in Nigeria to observe the elections also adjudged the electoral processes to be transparent. The minister, thedaftwr, assured of the continuity of the policies of the APC government for more achievements.

However, many stakeholders were of the view that carrying over such pre-election activities to post-elections period reflects the level of tension in the party government and efforts to seek legitimacy of outcome of the 2019 elections while conteding with the petition of Atiku Abubakar at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.