The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has challenged the allegations of the Department of State Services (DSS) concerning a plot by some opposition parties to thwart the May 29, handover.
Atiku stated that the allegation is fake and a ploy to arrest opposition leaders before the ceremony. He dared the DSS to disclose the identities of those planning to install an interim government If the allegations were real.
Recall that the security agency on Wednesday, March 29, in a statement said it had confirmed a plot by some ‘key players’ to install an interim government and halt the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu from being inaugurated on May 29. The DSS said the plot includes embarking on violent protests nationwide to engineer the declaration of a state of emergency as well as securing frivolous court injunctions to stall the inauguration.
Atiku responded to the allegations via a statement released by his media aide, his media aide, Timi Frank. The statement addressed the alarm of the purported plot to prevent Tinubu from being sworn in as president, as a false and calculated move to arrest both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and to clampdown on peaceful protesters by Nigerians before May 29.
Here is an excerpt from the statement:
“The DSS purported intelligence is fake. It is a plot to crackdown on protesters and arrest opposition political leaders before May 29. We have credible information that the DSS issued the statement in preparation for its planned disruption of ongoing protest by Nigerians who are demonstrating peacefully to demand justice and the restoration of their stolen mandate.
Where was their intelligence when the Independent National Electoral Commission and Mahmood Yakubu were compromised to rig the 2023 general election?
Nigerians have been under siege by bandits, kidnappers and terrorists for a long time now, but the DSS never gave intelligence to foil kidnapping, heinous attacks, maiming and killing of innocent Nigerians. The only time you see the DSS coming up to talk about intelligence is whenever Nigerians are preparing to either protest against obnoxious government policies, rules, human rights abuses or carrying out lawful political activities.
The DSS must stop this method of intimidating Nigerians, especially politicians, whenever they want to exercise their constitutional rights. In fact, we dare the DSS or any other security outfit in the country to arrest Atiku and Obi before May 29 and see the wrath of Nigerians.”
The former Vice President further called on Nigerians and protesters not to be intimidated by any fake intelligence of a phantom ING plot emanating from the DSS. He also enjoined the UK, US and EU to immediately call on the Nigerian government to allow Nigerians to “exercise their democratic rights which is to ensure that the stolen mandate of the Nigerian people is restored through peaceful protests and the judicial process.”
