I Regret Signing Peace Accord with Buhari, Atiku Laments

Pat Stevens/

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has reportedly expressed regret over his decision to sign the peace accord initiated by the National Peace Committee in the build-up to last Saturday’s presidential election.

Sources at the meeting between the leadership of the PDP and the committee led former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (rtd), disclosed that Atiku told the NPC members he was surprised that they did not address all the issues raised by his party after he joined President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the peace agreement.

Others members of the NPC who attended the meeting on Thursday night in Abuja were Cardinal John Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

PDP members who were at the meeting included the PDP vice-presidential candidate, Peter Obi; President of the Senate, who is also the Director-General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Bukola Saraki; and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

Atiku reportedly claimed that the country was already divided and that he regretted signing the peace agreement because of the events that unfolded after.

“At a time, he (Atiku) became emotional. He said he regretted signing the Peace Agreement because members of the committee did not attend to complaints by the PDP after its signing and before the conduct of the elections,” one of the sources disclosed.

The leadership of the PDP also reportedly told the NPC members how supporters of the party were allegedly molested and denied the opportunity to cast their votes in many states.

NewsmakersNG also gathered that the committee members were shown video clips of how soldiers allegedly brutalised PDP members in some states and the sacking of some polling units by thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling party without the security agents who were present taking any action.