
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general elections, has denied threatening to lead a “massive protest” over claims by the Independent National Electoral Commission it did not transmit the results of the elections to a dedicated server.
A Twitter handle claiming to be that of a People’s Democratic Support group tweeted a quote it attributed to Atiku on Saturday evening.
“My Server Results Are Authentic and if judges frustrate the Justice we will take over the street. I will lead all Nigerians in a massive protest that mankind have never witness before,” @YouthSupportPDP tweeted.
But Atiku insisted on Sunday morning he never made such comments.
“The quote purportedly attributed to me with respect to INEC Server, an issue currently before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is fake and the handiwork of mischief makers,” Atiku tweeted on Sunday.
Abubakar and PDP had filed an application seeking access to inspect the server and data of smart card readers used by the electoral body in the conduct of the election.
In their petition, they stated that by the figures obtained from INEC’s server, they won the presidential election against Buhari and the third respondent, All Progressives Congress (APC).
Based on the figures allegedly obtained from the server, Abubakar said he scored 18,356,732 votes as against those of Buhari, who he said polled 16,741,430 votes.
Atiku’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN) told the tribunal that the inspection of the server and data was necessary for the interest of justice, transparency and neutrality on the part of the first respondents, INEC.
But the INEC counsel, Yunus Usman (SAN), vehemently opposed the application for the inspection of the server. He said that the application should be dismissed because “We do not have a server.”
Consequently, the five-man panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, announced reservation of ruling in the application to a date to be communicated to the parties, before adjourning the pre-hearing of Atiku and PDP’s petition till June 24.
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