Atiku cautions security agencies on polls

The presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has cautioned the nation’s security agencies against interference with the electoral process in the upcoming general elections.

According to Atiku, the electoral process is outside the constitutional mandate of the security agencies, adding that their duty is to ensure the safety of voters in a seamless process.

Speaking at the party’s presidential campaign rally in Jalingo, Taraba State on Tuesday, the opposition presidential candidate also warned that any government that involves the military and paramilitary agencies in electoral matters did not mean well for the personnel.

Atiku harped on the need for security personnel to remain neutral in the electoral process, saying such role is clearly outside their constitutional responsibilities.

He said, “Our security services, you have no business to interfere with our political process, that is not your work. Your work is to make sure that there is peace, law and order. It is not your business to interfere in our political process; this is not your constitutional responsibility at all.

“Your constitutional responsibility is to make sure that we are all safe. Any government that draws the security agencies, the Police, the Army, the Civil Defence, that government is doing more harm to your career, is doing more harm to your patriotism and more harm to yourselves.

“Don’t accept that, don’t get involved, allow us to choose the leaders we want to choose and to elect the people we want to elect. It is not your business whom we elect at all. So I want to caution the security services not to get involved because there are many of us who were also security officers, so don’t come and tell us bullshit”.

Atiku assured the Taraba people that he will tackle insecurity, which has become a major challenge in the entire Northeast zone.

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He also promised to complete the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power and to create the enabling environment for job creation.

Continuing, Atiku said, “I want to promise you that the much awaited Mambilla Hydro Electric Power, we will complete it so that you will not have problem of power whatsoever.

“I also want to promise you, that your federal roads will be taken care of. Taraba is one of the most endowed states in this country. We are going to exploit the natural resources which are in abundance in Taraba so that you can have prosperity, so that we can bring employment, so that we can create jobs for our teaming men and women”.

Apparently referring to his presidential aspiration, Atiku told the crowd of supporters that the Northeast zone is closest to the Presidency now than ever before and charged them not to allow the opportunity to slip away.

“And this is the first time since 1999, when you are going to have a President from this state, you are going to have a President from this zone. So do you want to take it to another state, to another zone. No! God bless you”.

The PDP presidential candidate urged the people to vote and ensure their votes are protected and counted, even as he assured that their loyalty to PDP will never go unrewarded.

Also speaking at the rally, the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus accused President Muhammadu Buhari of setting the military against geopolitical zones perceived to be against his re-election bid. He reminded the security agencies of their constitutional responsibility to defend the entire country.

Secondus said, “We have issue of Boko Haram in Borno. They should tackle that issue. Buhari, don’t use the military to terrorise regions that you don’t like.

“Enough is enough. The Nigerian military is to defend our territory’s integrity. We shouted aloud that foreigners were entering into our country. They have no response to it because we have evidence.

“We will continue to hammer that the election must be free and fair. We will continue to address these issues until that day. We believe that when you conduct free and fair election and we elect a credible candidate, that is the only way to bring peace in this country.

“We believe that anyone that wins from a free and fair process, that person will be the choice of Nigeria. But if you manipulate, if you rig this election, the PDP and others will not accept it. INEC, be warned”

The Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku who hosted the rally said that Atiku has the solution to the problem of insecurity and unemployment that have ravaged the Northeast and assured that the state would be delivered to PDP in all the elections.