Atiku desperate to replicate ‘Venezuelan model’ in Nigeria, FG alleges

The minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Thursday accused Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of planning to replicate the Venezuelan model in Nigeria following media reports that he has hired a United States lobbying firm to convince the US not to recognise the reelection of President Muhammadu Buhari until the Supreme Court rules on the suit.

The minister who disclosed this during press conference in Abuja noted that Atiku, as a self-avowed democrat, should realise that the only lawful channel for challenging the result of an election was through the courts, rather than resorting to self-help.

Asked how possible was it to recreate a Venezuelan model in Nigeria, Mohammed said, “When you try to make inflammatory statement either through yourself or through your supporters capable of setting the country on fire. I won’t use the word as strong as treasonable felony, I won’t. But I will simply say that any act of anybody capable of creating crisis will not be tolerated by the government.”

“President Muhammadu Buhari won the Feb. 23rd 2019 presidential elections fair and square, with a margin of 3,928,869 million votes. The election’s credibility was attested to by local and foreign observers.

“There is no doubt that President Buhari’s victory is well deserved. As I said at a different forum, it represents the triumph of the ordinary Nigerians over the elite. The election is a direct contest between ordinary Nigerians and the elite, most of whom are rent seekers. Of course, the ordinary Nigerians have won. This is not a surprise, considering the pro-poor policy of the Administration.”

The minister stressed that Atiku had the right to do whatever was lawful to challenge the outcome of that election, but stressed that he cannot get through the back door what he couldn’t get through the front door, saying that would be a pipe dream.

According to him, “If he believes hiring a foreign lobbying firm will advance his quest, we wish him the best of luck. But seeking US recognition as the winner of an election that he lost by almost 4 million votes is unconscionable. Recall, gentlemen, that after the result of the presidential election was announced, the US joined other countries to congratulate President Buhari.”

Muhammed stressed that Atiku would not be the first or the last person to lose an election, and he should realise that losing an election is not the end of the world.

He said that while he had challenged the result of the election in court, he should not give the impression that he does not have confidence in the judicial process, which is what resorting to self-help implies.