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The Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate, Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday, said
he did not feel threatened by either the collapse of alliance talks
between his party and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), or the
overwhelming endorsement being enjoyed by the PDP presidential
candidate, Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Ribadu, who
made the statement in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists
at a world press conference tagged, ‘Farewell To Nostalgia’, said
though the alliance talks have collapsed, Nigerians still believe in
the ACN.

“I don’t feel
threatened by any party’s endorsing Goodluck because we have also got
endorsement of 12 parties. What matters is Nigerians’ endorsement,
those who are going to vote on Saturday, and that is why we are
pleading to Nigerians to vote wisely because PDP is a continuation of
the rot we are currently experiencing,” Mr. Ribadu said.

Although he agreed
that he had earlier offered to step down for the CPC presidential
candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, he clarified that he did not eventually do
so.

“There was no
stepping down; offer is a different thing. During the negotiation,
offers were made by both sides. ACN made a big sacrifice and the other
side made a promise and failed to deliver.

“So, that is the
cause of the failure of the alliance and that is why I still maintain
that I am the candidate. I am standing and asking Nigerians to vote for
me because I did not step down for anybody,” he said.

Art of rigging

Mr. Ribadu noted
that in the history of elections in Nigeria, electoral malpractices
have become the most formidable huddle that had stood against electing
a truly representative and responsible government, and cautioned
against tampering with votes in the remaining elections.

“In last week’s
National Assembly election, the same challenge reared its ugly head
again and the main perpetrators are the same gifted captains in the art
of election rigging and manipulation.

“They are roaming
the streets about now, getting set for action, and if they did it last
week, we would all be naïve to imagine that they would yield on this
criminal and unpatriotic act and go on vacation this coming Saturday,”
he said.

He called on Nigerians to vote wisely in order to ensure that a credible leader emerged in the poll.