Paul Ibe, a Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized the vote-counting process of the recently concluded presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The primary election saw President Bola Tinubu emerge as the APC's presidential flagbearer for the 2027 election. Ibe alleged that the vote-counting produced inflated results as part of a rigging strategy.
Comparison with ADC Primaries
Ibe praised the ongoing African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential primary election for its transparent vote-counting process. In a post on X, he stated, "The ADC leads in properly counting the votes at its ongoing nationwide presidential primaries when compared to the abracadabra vote count of the ruling APC, which produced inflated votes that are a dress rehearsal to seek for its rigging strategy. The difference is clear between the Democrats and the Communists."
Atiku's Broader Criticism of Government
Days earlier, Atiku Abubakar had condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and educators in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and the brutal killing of innocent Nigerians in Katsina State, including a pregnant woman. He described these tragedies as further evidence that Nigeria is suffering under a government that responds to crises only with press statements.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed heartbreak over the murder of a teacher abducted in the Ogbomoso incident. He said, "At a time when armed criminals are abducting schoolchildren, slaughtering innocent citizens, and turning communities into graveyards, President Tinubu’s response remains the same tired ritual: condemn the killings, threaten that the perpetrators will face the ‘full wrath of the law,’ and then wait for the next massacre."
Atiku urged President Tinubu to stop governing by obituary statements and called for an end to recycled outrage and empty threats, emphasizing that Nigerians are dying while the government continues to respond with press releases.
