President Muhammadu Buhari says anyone planning to snatch ballot boxes during the forthcoming elections will do so “at the expense of his own life”.
Speaking at an emergency meeting of leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Abuja on Monday, February 18, 2019, the president Buhari warned against tampering with the electoral process.
He said having campaigned across the country, he has garnered enough support and does not need anybody to rig election of his behalf.
“Anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or lead thugs to disturb, it may be the last unlawful action you will take,” President Buhari is quoted as saying.
“I rarely give the military and the police [the power] to be ruthless. We are not going be blamed but we won’t rig election. I want Nigerians to be respected; let them vote whoever they want across the parties. I’m not afraid of it.
“The whole 36 states in Nigeria, I went round. I think I have got enough support across the country to look after me. So I’m going to warn anybody who thinks he has enough influence in his locality to lead a body of thugs to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system, he will do it at the expense of his own life.”
He asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to take voters for granted and advised security agencies to respect the rights of voters during the electoral process.
The meeting started at the APC National Secretariat around 11.30am when the president arrived.
Those in attendance included the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, and national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole.
State governors at the meeting included that of Zamfara, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Jigawa, Borno, Bauchi, Kebbi, Niger, Lagos and Kaduna state.
Also in attendance were the Senate leader, Ahmad Lawan, senators, Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Boss Mustapha, ministers, among others.
Discussions at the meeting will not be unconnected with the issues affecting the party, including the postponement of the general elections by a week.
