PMB Has Never Used Federal Might In Elections – El-Rufai

Kaduna State Governor,  Mallam El-Rufai

Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has never used federal might that other governments have used in the past to rig elections.

The governor maintained that Buhari has never abused the concept of federal might.

He said, “Unlike past governments”, Buhari allowed the will of the people to prevail in the election. 

“We’d have loved to win. Quite frankly, I was optimistic up to three weeks ago because there was indication that we were going to win. I don’t know what happened in the last two, three weeks of the campaign,” El-Rufai said.

Also, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday met with caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), Mai Mala Buni and Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje.

Recall that Ganduje is also the chairman Campaign Council of the APC in the Edo State gubernatorial election.

Both men, together, met with the president behind closed doors in his office at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Meanwhile, Coalition of INEC Accredited Civil Society Organisations And Election Observers yesterday adjudged the September 19 governorship election in Edo State as free, fair, credible and transparent.

Giving its assessment of the election in Benin City yesterday, the coalition’s spokesman, Victor Kalu, said INEC, “meticulously followed its timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the election.”

Also, a pro-democracy think tank, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has rated the conduct and outcome of the September 19 governorship election in Edo State as relatively credible, despite the challenges and infractions, which dogged the process.

Addressing a news conference in Abuja yesterday, CDD director, Idayat

Hassan, noted that the election was relatively peaceful when compared to other polls recently conducted.

Yiaga Africa also called on the winning candidate of the Edo State governorship election, Governor Godwin Obaseki and his supporters to be magnanimous in victory.

A statement signed by the co-chair, Yiaga Africa WTV Working Group, Ezenwa Nwagwu and Dr Aisha Abdullahi and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, called on all candidates, all parties and all Nigerians to show political maturity and to maintain the peace.

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has also appealed to the re-elected governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, to be magnanimous in victory.

PANDEF national chairman, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt yesterday, congratulated Obaseki on his victory in last Saturday’s governorship election.

It called on all stakeholders in Edo State to accept the outcome of the poll as the decision of the people, and work with the re-elected governor in the interest of the peace, stability and development of the state.