· Party declares readiness for March 18 polls
As litigations have trailed the conduct and outcome of the February 25 presidential election, the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has stated that Nigerians know who won the election, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner of the election.
INEC on March 1, said Tinubu defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election, after scoring a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates, thus meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner.
The election commission noted that the APC presidential candidate also scored over 25 per cent of the votes cast in 30 states, more than the 24 states constitutionally required.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the final results in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, said Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came second in the election with a total of 6,984,520 votes in the election, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third with a total of 6,101,533 votes, leaving Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP at the fourth position with 1,496,687 votes.
But the NNPP National Chairman, Professor Ahmed Rufai Alkali, stated while briefing the media at the party headquarters on Wednesday that the February 25 presidential [poll was marred with so many irregularities, even as he declared that Nigerians know who won the election as against the declaration by INEC.
The NNPP chairman, who noted that the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly poll has proved book makers wrong on the strength of the party, maintained that the party’s presidential candidate, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso has shown his proved his political strength in the country.
Professor Alkali, who noted that the February 25 presidential election failed short of expectations, with several flaws, said the party was still talking with its lawyers, noting that it will soon come out with a position on whether to challenge the outcome of the poll at the {Presidential Election Petition Tribunal or not.
“We are still talking to our lawyers. The presidential election failed short of expectations. We are still collecting reports. From the report we are getting those who are crying that they have been rigged out are master riggers. It’s funny for a thief to call a fellow thief same.
“We are also happy to say that NNPP has transformed into a bigger political party.
“Though we have existed for years, but within one year of our new leadership, we at the NNPP have shocked many. Those who under rated Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso have seen the greatness in him, despite efforts by our detractors to stop us, especially in the manner INEC handled our logo, which affected our performance in some areas.
“We have however sent our complains to INEC to improve on our party logo, as not to deceive our supporters, before the state governorship and assembly elections.
He expressed the readiness of the NNPP for Saturday’s governorship and House Assemble elections, insisting that the NNPP is not in alliance with any political party or candidate ahead of the polls.
“We are ready and fully prepared for the March 18 governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections. NNPP is not in alliance with any political party or candidate in any state. Therefore all our candidates must not surrender our structure to any party or candidate. Those who do that must await our clampdown on them according to our constitution.
“We also condemn all acts of violence against our party and other Nigerians, especially in Kano, where several of our supporters have been targeted and some even killed.