Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State, describing the exercise as an “awful absurdity and a travesty to the very notion of elective democracy”, and calling on the opposition parties in the state to reject the outcome.
In a statement released after the elections, which saw the APC win 20 local government areas while the PDP won three, Atiku expressed his solidarity with the people of Rivers State, whom he described as “victims of political brigandry to a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost.”
Atiku criticized the APC-led federal government for “throwing caution to the wind” in its bid to achieve an inordinate political advantage.
He stated, “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.”
The former Vice President called on all well-meaning Nigerians, the international community, and friends of Nigeria to take note of the “dangerous curve” that the President Bola Tinubu regime is taking the country.
He urged opposition parties in Rivers State to reject the election results, citing the illegitimacy of the occupation government that conducted the exercise.
“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.”
Atiku reiterated his support for the people of Rivers State, saying, “I wish to share my unflinching solidarity with the good people of Rivers State, who are currently victims of political brigandry to a power cabal which is bent on overturning their democratic rights at all cost.”
