Government should not tinker with election timelines – Atiku

Atiku AbubakarFormer Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar has said that the general elections in the country should  hold as scheduled next month, and that government must not tinker with the option of postponing the timelines for the elections.

“Yes, we have a problem with the distribution of PVCs but the position of my party, the APC is that since we have a voters’ register then that should be used in conducting the elections. I also believe there is enough time between now and the elections to issue everyone with their PVCs,” Atiku said shortly on arrival to the country.

The former Vice President, who landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Thursday after a medical vacation trip, said the call made by the National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki, for a postponement of the elections as scheduled next month, was uncalled for and portends a dangerous signal about the intentions of the Federal Government to conduct a free, fair and credible poll in February.

Atiku was quoted to have said in the statement signed by his media office that he is “strong, healthy and happy” to be back to lend his support to the train of change sweeping across the country.

“The duty of participating in the process of change which our great party, the APC is committed to supersedes every other consideration. For me, participating in this campaign is a call to national duty.

“It is a duty which we cannot afford to compromise upon and we must press into the consciousness of those at the helms of affairs that it is morally dubious and socially unacceptable to extend the dates of the elections by a single day from the scheduled timelines,” the former Vice President said.