Former Vice-President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has strongly condemned the just-concluded local government elections in Rivers State, describing the process as “an awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy.”
According to a 9am News report, the elections, conducted by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission on Saturday, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) claim victory in 20 out of the 23 local government areas, while the ruling PDP in the state managed to secure only three LGAs.
Atiku, in a statement shared via his X account on Sunday, criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu and alleged that the APC government was willing to compromise democratic principles for political gain.
“By the shameful and shambolic manner in which the occupation government went ahead to conduct local government elections in Rivers State, it is clear that the ruling APC party is not leaving anyone in doubt that it is prepared to throw caution to the wind in order to achieve an inordinate political advantage,” Atiku said.
He urged Nigerians, the international community, and democratic partners of the country to closely monitor what he termed a “dangerous curve” being taken by the Tinubu-led government.
The former Vice-President also appealed to opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the outcome of the polls, arguing that the election lacked legitimacy.
“I will also call on all opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the local government election on the premise that the occupation government that conducted the exercise is extraneous to our laws, with absolutely no legitimacy to undertake such a crucial and sensitive assignment,” he added.
Atiku concluded by expressing solidarity with the people of Rivers State, stressing that they were victims of “political brigandry by a power cabal bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost.”
The outcome of the election has sparked heated debates across political circles, with stakeholders questioning the credibility of the process and its implications for grassroots democracy in Nigeria.
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