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ARC->Election News
Dear General Buhari,
I feel constrained to write you this letter on an issue which I presume to be of common concern to you and me, first as members of the National Council of State, and as presidential candidates of our respective Parties in the current General Elections.
May I remind you that the responsibility for ensuring the success of these elections transcends our individual ambitions at the polls. It is a national responsibility by which all Nigerians expect us to assure them of peace and stability during these elections and beyond.
I am alarmed at the reports reaching me of utterances by yourself which seem to convey consequences that are disruptive to law and order by your political supporters and members of your Party, the ANPP. It is my sincere hope that the suggestion of a call to civil disobedience, and even violence, is a misinterpretation of these utterances by a former Head of State and a Presidential Candidate who aspires to govern a democratically united and peaceful Nigeria.
You are reported to have cited the remarkable success of the Peoples Democratic Party at the election of last Saturday as basis for the utterances. The facts, which are readily available to all observers, is that, whereas the PDP did indeed make dramatic gains in some parts of the country, this is equally true of ANPP making gains in' other parts of the country, all at the expense of PDP. The details, I believe, are sufficiently familiar to you, and are therefore not worth mentioning here. I would only like to point out to you that the PDP has been most willing to accept being losers where ANPP has gained. On your part, while you savour the victory of your Party, you may as well concede defeat where' other Parties were victorious. This attitude, apart from being sportsmanlike, would be extremely helpful for our nascent democracy that all Nigerians are demonstrably keen to establish for this nation. In any case, it is certainly illogical, if not irresponsible, to portray instances of victory by the other side as evidence of electoral malpractice, while total victory on your part goes unmentioned. Furthermore, it is on record that the PDP in relevant States has vigorously protested against manifestations of irregularities and malpractices that attended its defeat, and the Party is in the process of dealing with such situations according to electoral regulations.
Let me emphatically urge you not to incite the society and law enforcement agencies. You know, both as Military Leader and former Head of State that direct appeal and incitement of law enforcement agencies and the Military against lawfully constituted authority is both reprehensible and extremely unfortunate. So also is your encouragement of civil disobedience rather than pursuit of redress in accordance with laid-down electoral regulations.
I am sure that you do not need reminding that, I, as elected President, have the responsibility for maintaining peace, law and order, at any time and in every part of this country. This responsibility transcends Party politics. This is constitutional responsibility that I owe to this nation. And I intend to use all constitutional means and authority to discharge this responsibility to the full, election time or not.
I am taking the liberty to make the contents of this letter available to members of the National Council of State and all other persons that I believe need to know because they share the concerns hereby expressed.
Yours sincerely
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
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