Nigeria Content Online

The presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria,
Nuhu Ribadu, yesterday faulted the deployment of the military for the
elections, saying this was another instance of the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party misusing government agencies and institutions in order to win elections.

Mr. Ribadu, who called on the military, police and other state
agencies to resist the attempt by the PDP to use them in stealing elections,
said he wanted them to “side with Nigerians.” “PDP is desperate, we know INEC
is resisting them. I am calling on the military to also say, no. We are not
going to be used. Everybody, including the military and police, must stand
tall. Let Nigerians be the winners, this time. Nigerians have always been the
losers in this game,” he said.

The opposition candidate, who spoke with journalists at his Yola
residence in Adamawa State, also accused the PDP of wastage and mismanagement
of the country’s resources.

“They are spending a billion naira every day for the last 3-4
months. These are monies meant for Nigerians -it is our money,” he said, adding
that the ruling party will be shocked because change has taken place.

Party for all

On his relationship with some of the ACN leaders, including Bola
Tinubu, whom the EFCC investigated for graft offences, Mr Ribadu said he never
prosecuted Mr Tinubu for corruption and that politics was about people and should
be inclusive.

“I have no right to exclude anybody. It is a constitutional
right to belong to a political party”, Ribadu said. “I cannot say just because
I am member of a political party, I would therefore determine every single
member of that political party. It is humanly impossible, it is
unconstitutional, it is not legal and it is not right. You cannot exclude
anybody,” Ribadu said.

He said his foray into politics was to seek the people’s mandate through the
ballot to offer service. “I am trying to get into public service through
elections. There’s no other way you can do it except to belong to a political
party. I don’t want to belong to the PDP because I know they are the problem of
this country,” he said.