Categories: Latest News

APC explains why Atiku is not from Nigeria, unqualify to contest elections

The All Progressive Congress (APC) and the winner of the February 23, 2019 Presidential Election, has filed a motion at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja that the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the poll, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is not a Nigerian and therefore not qualified to have stood for the election.

The Party claimed that the former Vice President is a Cameroonian and not a Nigerian citizen and his petition against President Muhammadu Buhari, its own candidate, should be dismissed for lacking in merit.

In a reply to the petition of Atiku and the PDP praying for their declaration as the lawful winner of the presidential poll, the APC said that the 11.1 million votes recorded in favor of the two petitioners should be voided and considered a waste by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

The APC’s reply to the petition, filed by its lead counsel, Lateef Fagbemi faulted the candidacy of Atiku in the election insisting that as a Cameroonian, he ought not to have taken part in the presidential poll of Nigeria in the first instance.

The Party averred that Atiku was born on November 25, 1946, in Jada, Adamawa, in Northern Cameroon and is, therefore, a citizen of Cameroon and not a Nigerian by birth.

Going down memory lane, APC claimed that prior to 1919, Cameroon was being administered by Germany and that following the defeat of Germany in World War 1, which end d in 1918, Cameroon became part of a League of Nations mandate territory which consisted of French Cameroon and British Cameroon in 1919.

APC further argued that in 1961, a plebiscite was held in British Cameroon to determine whether the people preferred to stay in Cameroon or align with Nigeria.
According to the party, while Northern Cameroon preferred a union with Nigeria, Southern Cameroon chose alignment with the mother country and that it was as a result of the plebiscite that Northern Cameroon, which included Adamawa, became a part of Nigeria.

APC, therefore, said that contrary to the assertion of Atiku in his petition, he (Atiku) had no right to be voted for as a candidate in the election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria held on February 23, 2019.

The party averred that by reason of Atiku not having qualified to contest the election, all votes purportedly cast for him and the PDP in the February 23 election are wasted votes.

Ben Idah

Recent Posts

BREAKING: Supreme Court nullifies National Lottery Act, grants states exclusive control

The Supreme Court has struck down the National Lottery Act of 2005, ruling that the…

1 min ago

Latest update on fuel price hike, fuel scarcity for November 22nd, 2024

As Nigerians express their frustrations over the recent fuel price hikes by the Nigerian National…

5 hours ago

Full List of 80,000 delisted companies published by CAC

The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has officially removed companies that failed to file their annual…

5 hours ago

Amended NDLEA Act: Senate approves life imprisonment for drug traffickers, rejects death penalty

The Senate on Thursday agreed with the House of Representatives' recommendation to replace the death…

6 hours ago

Monday Odigie steps down as Bendel Insurance coach

Monday Odigie, the coach of Bendel Insurance Football Club of Benin, has resigned from his…

6 hours ago

Lewandowski reflects on missed Manchester United transfer

Robert Lewandowski has reflected on the time he nearly joined Manchester United in 2012, only…

6 hours ago