10th March, 2023
The presidency on Thursday said those who were calling for the cancellation of the 2023 presidential election wanted to recreate June 12, 1993 presidential election annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida.
The PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the LP’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi were calling for the cancellation of the poll and sought to stop INEC from announcing the results of the poll won by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement, while reviewing President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to Doha, Qatar, said in addition to other things, this trip, more than any other, spoke to the courage, political stamina and statesmanship with which the President has managed the affairs of the nation.
“In the buildup to the trip, he was faced with orchestrated attempts to poison public opinion against national institutions, particularly the presidential election and its conduct by the independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as an institution, against which vile and unsubstantiated allegations were hurled.
“The clear intent of this was creating an atmosphere of fear, polarizing the public and demonizing the administration of the President. The wishful thinkers appeared to assume that the June 12, 1993 election crisis, the worst ever since the Civil War could be recreated.
“Those who sought to do this forgot what the President said at the palace of the Gbong-Gwon Jos, when he went to the city to inaugurate the Tinubu-Shettima campaign: “this election will not be annulled; whoever is the winner will be president.,’’ he said.
Shehu said Buhari not only muted himself following the cacophony, he picked up international travel: “Bola Tinubu’s election stands. If you are aggrieved, and you have the locus to do so, go to court.’’
He added that whenever the President travels abroad, he met world leaders but did not miss the opportunity to talk to the citizens there, who proudly tell him about the achievements of the Nigerian community settled in those countries.