I Am A Nigerian, Atiku Replies APC

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has rebuked the All Progressives Congress, APC, describing the allegation that he is a Cameroonian as puerile, face saving, vexatious, absolutely and completely unfounded.

Atiku, in his response to preliminary objection the APC filed to challenge his petition against the declaration of President President Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the February 23 presidential election, maintained that he is a full blooded Nigerian.

He urged the Presidential election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja to ignore what he termed as “extraneous facts, contradictory, diversionary, evasive, speculative and vague assertions”, by both the APC and President Buhari.

Atiku told the tribunal that contrary to APC’s allegation that he is an alien, he said he is a Nigerian by birth and a Fulani by tribe.

He told the tribunal that he has been a Nigerian politician for about 30 years, adding that in 1992, he contested in the Presidential Primaries under the platform of then Social Democratic Party (SDP) alongside the late Chief M.K.O Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.

He said: ” Contrary to the allegations contained in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the 3rd Respondent’s Reply, the Petitioners state that the ” ” ” 1st Petitioner is a citizen of Nigeria by Birth and thus qualified to vote and be voted for and returned in the election to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of

“In further response to paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 of the 3rd Respondent’s Reply, Atiku and his party state as follows:

.”The 1st Petitioner was born on 25th November, 1946 in Jada, Adamawa State by Nigerian Parents and he is therefore a citizen of Nigeria by Birth.

“The 1st Petitioner’s father, Garba Atiku Abdulkadir was a Nigerian by Birth who hailed from Wumo in present day Sokoto State while the mother, Aisha Kande was also a Nigerian who hailed from Dutse in present day Jigawa State.

“The parents of the 1st Petitioner are both Fulani, a community/tribe indigenous to Nigeria.

“The birth of the 1st Petitioner in Jada, in present day Adamawa State of Nigeria was occasioned by the movement of his paternal grandfather called Atiku who was an itinerant trader, from Wu.mo in present day Sokoto State to Jada in the company of his friend, Ardo Usman.

“That in Jada, Atiku, the grandfather of the 1st Petitioner gave birth to Garba who in turn gave birth to the 1st Petitioner and named him after his own father Atiku.

“The 1st Petitioner’s mother, Aisha Kande was the grand-daughter of Inuwa Dutse who came to Jada as an itinerant trader too from Dutse in present day Jigawa State.

“That all averments concerning Germany, British Cameroons, League of Nations and Plebiscite are false and misleading in relation to the 1st Petitioner and therefore completely irrelevant more so that the 1st Petitioner is a Nigerian by birth within the contemplation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic ofNigeria, 1999 (as amended).

“The averments in the aforesaid paragraphs are indeed fabricated, contrived, made in bad faith and designed to embarrass the 1st Petitioner.

“In response to paragraph 7 of the 3rd Respondent’s Reply, the Petitioners aver that the votes of the 1st Petitioner in the Election of 23rd February, 2019

to the office of the President are not wasted votes, and the 1st Petitioner being a qualified candidate in the said Election indeed secured majority of lawful votes over and above the votes of the 2nd Respondent.

“In further reaction to Paragraph 7 of the 3rd Respondent Reply, the Petitioners hereby plead and contend that at all times material the he Atiku has been a Nigerian by birth and has participated in the following career and political activities and has also received the following awards and honours:

“That he was a civil servant in the Nigerian Customs Service for over 20 years and retired as a Deputy Director.

“That he has been a Nigerian politician for about 30 years and in 1992 he contested in the Presidential Primaries under the platform of then Social Democratic Party (SDP) alongside the late Chief M.K.O Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.

” That he contested for and won the 1999 Gubernatorial election in Adamawa State under the platform of the 2nd Petitioner.

” That Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and himself contested for and won the 1999 and 2003 Presidential Elections, respectively as President and Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the 2nd Petitioner.

” The 1st Petitioner is the recipient of the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON).

“The 1st Petitioner was the traditional title holder of Turakin Adamawa from 1982 to 2017 when he was elevated to Wazirin Adamawa amongs other avarment to support his claims.