Former Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff Retired General Alani Akinrinade has criticized the recent statement made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Buhari over the recently concluded elections.
General Akinrinade said the call by the former president challenging the integrity of national elections and calling a seating President to cancel the process was without any shred of evidence.
In a statement issued to pressmen, the retired general, Akinrinade called on President Muhammadu Buhari to set aside Chief Obasanjo’s recent statement and focus on supporting the lawful institution to do its job by allowing the process to run its full course.
The statement reads in part:
“As a General who fought for the unity of this country and one that has witnessed the many twists and turns of our Democratic development, I am certain that Nigeria this time is on the right path. I find it most disturbing and objectionable that a former General and President will introduce such a diatribe into the body politic of Nigeria at such a delicate time as this.”
“Being not neutral, Obasanjo’s intervention falls short of patriotism and fits perfectly into meddling in the affairs of state that is already the constitutional responsibility of INEC.”
“I call on President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore Obasanjo’s recent interruptions and focus on supporting the lawful institution to do its job by allowing the process to run its full course.”
“The President Buhari I know will let the process run its full course and will not intervene in an undemocratic manner to truncate the ongoing political process.”
“Luckily, President Buhari is made of finer and more principled democratic stuff. He will not allow Obasanjo to lure him into tainting his democratic credentials in this regard. I recall that on his last trip to the United States, President Joe Biden praised Buhari’s commitment to democratic values and principles. Obasanjo has no such record to be applauded.”
“Nigerians have voted. Their votes have been counted. Let no one disrupt the process.”
In the same vein, the All Progressives Congress, Presidential Campaign Council, (APC-PCC), has also condemned the call made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the cancellation of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
In a statement, the APC – PCC viewed the opinion of the former President as undemocratic and an attempt to ignite tension in the country.
According to the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs, Mr. Dele Alake; the APC – PCC challenged Chief Obasanjo to provide reliable evidence of his claims that the electoral process had been compromised and manipulated.
The Council, however, noted that any true democrat would not seek for the abortion of any electoral process, but rather seek redress where necessary.
Describing the claims made by the Former President, Obasanjo as false and mischievous, the APC-PCC advised Nigerians not to subscribe to it.
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