By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA — Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the Federal Government against using state institutions to tilt the Osun governorship election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Atiku described the poll as a critical test of Nigeria’s democratic credentials, warning that the scale and posture of security deployment around the election risked making a civil democratic exercise look like a military operation.
Speaking at the ADC National Youth Leadership Summit in Abuja, he said the conduct of the Osun election would send a strong signal about Nigeria’s readiness to deliver credible elections ahead of the next general election.
“Elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets. Voters are not enemy combatants. Opposition members are not insurgents,” he said.
Atiku questioned why such overwhelming security capacity was being deployed for an election when terrorists, kidnappers and bandits continue to attack communities and kill Nigerians.
He also cautioned INEC against any attempt to frustrate voters or compromise the integrity of the process through technical failures, unexplained delays or opaque handling of results.
The former vice president demanded the timely arrival of electoral materials, unhindered voting, honest counting and transparent transmission of results.
“The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC,” he declared.
Atiku said the eyes of Nigerians and the international community would be on Osun, urging all institutions involved in the election to allow voters to freely determine the outcome.
“The world is watching Osun. Nigerians are watching. History is taking notes. Let the people vote. Let every vote count. And let the will of the people prevail,” Atiku said.
The ADC presidential candidate also returned to the controversy surrounding the Chicago State University certificate President Bola Tinubu submitted to INEC, demanding clarification of what he described as discrepancies in documents linked to the certificate.
Atiku said the certificate submitted to INEC reportedly bears June 22, 1979, while another document produced in connection with Chicago State University records bears June 27, 1979. He also pointed to reported differences in the signatures and description of the degree.
He questioned the appearance on documents dated 1979 of names or signatures associated with university officials whose tenures reportedly began years later, asking whether replacement certificates were subsequently produced and, if so, who authorised them.
Atiku cited Section 137(1)(j) of the Constitution, which provides for disqualification where a presidential candidate has presented a forged certificate to INEC, arguing that the precise document submitted to the electoral commission should be authenticated.
“Who produced the certificate Tinubu submitted to INEC? When was it produced? Who authorised it? Why does it differ from the other version, and does Chicago State University authenticate the exact document submitted to INEC?” he asked.
He argued that the standard expected of an ordinary Nigerian seeking employment should not be lowered for someone seeking the country’s highest political office.
“If a young Nigerian would be required to explain such discrepancies before getting an ordinary job, why should the man seeking Nigeria’s highest job be exempt from the same standard?” Atiku asked.
On youth participation, Atiku pledged that at least 30 per cent of legislative candidates under his political programme would be below 40, with a significant number below 30.
He urged young Nigerians to turn their frustration into organised political participation rather than stopping at social media activism.
“Anger is not an organisation. A hashtag is not an organisation,” Atiku said, urging young Nigerians to move beyond online expressions of frustration and take an active role in shaping the country’s political future
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