INEC Server: Atiku Denies Statement on Alleged Plan to Stage Street Protest

Former Vice President and 2019 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has denied authoring a statement in which he was reportedly quoted as threatening to organise street protests over the controversy surrounding an alleged server used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) during the presidential election.

Atiku described the purported statement as false and accused unnamed individuals of attempting to damage his democratic credentials and portray him as a threat to national security.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku said neither he nor anyone acting on his behalf had issued such a threat.

“I wish to emphatically state that such a statement did not emanate from Atiku Abubakar or his privies,” the statement said.

His media team alleged that the publication was the work of mischief makers seeking to create grounds for possible action against the former vice president based on accusations that he posed a threat to national security.

Atiku maintained that he remained committed to democracy and the rule of law and would continue to pursue his grievances over the 2019 presidential election through established legal channels.

According to the statement, Atiku’s decades of participation in Nigerian politics demonstrated his commitment to democratic principles, adding that he had never advocated actions aimed at undermining constitutional government.

He also urged those responsible for circulating the alleged statement to stop what his camp described as attempts to create unnecessary political tension.

Atiku expressed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions and maintained that efforts to intimidate political opponents would not undermine the country’s democratic development.

The controversy came as Atiku and INEC were engaged in a legal dispute over his request for access to an alleged electronic server which he claimed contained results transmitted during the February 23, 2019 presidential election.

Atiku and the PDP had maintained in their petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that election results were electronically transmitted to an INEC server and sought access to the information as part of their challenge to President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election.

INEC, however, disputed the claim, maintaining that it did not electronically transmit the presidential election results to the server described by Atiku and the PDP.

Atiku consequently denied any intention to resort to street protests over the disagreement, insisting that the dispute would be pursued through the courts and in accordance with the law.