Breaking: Why I refused to call Buhari - Atiku gives reasons

- Atiku has thanked Nigerians who voted in the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections

- According to the PDP candidate, it was clear that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states

- Expressing his displeasure, Atiku said he has never seen democracy so debased as it was on Saturday, February 23

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has rejected the result of the election won by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Legit.ng reports that Atiku, who had kept mute since Monday, February 25, when the results showed that he was going to be the loser, described the election as a sham.

The former vice president said if he had lost in a free and fair election, he would have called the victor within seconds of being aware of his victory to offer not just his congratulations.

READ ALSO: Breaking: Dele Momodu advises Atiku to congratulate Buhari

In a statement shared on Facebook, Atiku said the militarisation of the electoral process is a disservice to Nigeria's democracy and a throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship.

Part of the statement read: "In some areas of the country, such as, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Imo states, troops deployed for the elections turned their guns on the very citizens they were meant to protect. This is condemnable and should not be associated with our electoral process in the future.

"I am a democrat and there are democratic avenues available to present the truth to the nation and the watching world. Already, many international observers have given their verdicts, which corroborate our observations. I am sure more will come in the coming hours and days.

"If I had lost in a free and fair election, I would have called the victor within seconds of my being aware of his victory to offer not just my congratulations, but my services to help unite Nigeria by being a bridge between the north and the south.

"However, in my democratic struggles for the past three decades, I have never seen our democracy so debased as it was on Saturday, February 23, 2019."

Below is the message he shared on Facebook:

Describing the election as a sham, Atiku said: "Consequently, I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court.

"I want to assure my supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, we will not allow democracy to be emasculated.

"I hope and pray Nigerians will someday summon the courage to defend democracy. That is the only way we can move away from being the world headquarters for extreme poverty."

READ ALSO: PDP urges Nigerians to remain peaceful after election defeat

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared President Buhari as the winner of the 2019 presidential election, defeating Atiku Abubakar of the PDP with over three million votes.

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2019 Election: Nigerians reveal what Buhari did to them| - on Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng