PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari resisted the urge to rig the just concluded Anambra governorship election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has said.
The minister made this known while speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.
Thanking Buhari for ensuring a level playing field for all the aspirants, he said Governor Willie Obiano, the re-elected governor of Anambra State, benefitted immensely from the president’s commitment to free, fair and credible election.
He said the president resisted the urge to rig the election when the president ordered the reinstatement of the governor’s security aides who had been withdrawn by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in the heat of the electioneering.
“The Muhammadu Buhari administration provided a level playing field for all and he showed that from the manner he restored the security aides of Governor Obiano.
“For whatever reason, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) felt that, going by experience, it will not be proper to leave the security aides.
“So, he posted out the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the governor and other key security officials.
“But the president felt that it is not enough to be honest, you must also appear honest and whatever the reasons the IGP might have is about perception.
“He said the right thing to do is to restore the governor’s aides and design a manner to ensure that nobody will abuse the constitution.
“This has never happened in the history of Nigeria. I know that the practice before was that a few days before election, commissioners of police will be posted out even, sometimes, INEC officials or DG SSS will be posted out.
“But for Mr. President, the message is clear: let the people make their decisions.”
