Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party has debunked notions that he was Cameroonian by birth
and thus not qualified to contest the election of 23 February, 2019.
Atiku Abubakar |
Atiku who was born in Jada in 1946, in present day Adamawa state, but
then part of Northern Cameroon, said he was born by Nigerian parents
and therefore ‘a citizen of Nigeria by birth”.
According to his response to the All Progressives Congress filing
before the Presidential election tribunal, Atiku said his father, Garba
Atiku Abdulkadir was a Nigerian by birth who hailed from Wurmo in
present day Sokoto State, while the mother, Aisha Kande was also a
Nigerian who hailed from Dutse in present day Jigawa State.
“The parents of the 1st Petitioner(Atiku) are both Fulani, a
community/tribe indigenous to Nigeria”, his lawyers, an array of senior
advocates said.
“The birth of the 1st Petitioner in Jada, in present day Adamawa
State of Nigeria was occasioned by the movement of his paternal
grandfather called Atiku who was an itinerant trader, from Wurmo in
present day Sokoto State to Jada in the company of his friend, Ardo
Usman.
“That in Jada, Atiku, the grandfather of the 1st Petitioner gave
birth to Garba who in tum gave birth to the 1st Petitioner and named him
after his own father Atiku.
“The 1st Petitioner’s mother, Aisha Kande was the grand-daughter of
Inuwa Dutse who came to Jada as an itinerant trader too from Dutse in
present day Jigawa State.
“That all averments concerning Germany, British Cameroons, League of
Nations and Plebiscite are false and misleading in relation to the 1st
Petitioner and therefore completely irrelevant more so that the 1st
Petitioner is a Nigerian by birth within the contemplation of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic ofNigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“The averments in the aforesaid paragraphs are indeed fabricated,
contrived, made in bad faith and designed to embarrass the 1st
Petitioner.”
Abubakar said that the votes he secured in the presidential election
were not wasted votes, and still claimed that he got more votes than
President Buhari.
To buttress his Nigerian citizenship, Atiku listed his career path
and political activities and the awards and honours that he had
received.
These included his being a civil servant in the Nigerian Customs
Service for over 20 years, retiring as a Deputy Director; a politician
for about 30 years, who in 1992 contested the Presidential Primaries
under the platform of then Social Democratic Party (SDP) alongside the
late Chief M.K.O Abiola and Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.
He also mentioned his participation in the 1999 governorship
election in Adamawa State in 1999, which he won and the presidential
elections of 1999 and 2003, which he won as running mate to former
President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mentioned also was his being a recipient of the National Honour of
Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) and holder of the
traditional title of Turakin Adamawa from 1982 to 2017 when he
was elevated to Wazirin Adamawa.
“In 2007, the 1st Petitioner contested Presidential election under
the platform of Action Congress (AC) and the 2nd Respondent contested
under the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP).
“In 2014, the 1st Petitioner and the 2nd Respondent contested the
Presidential Primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the 3rd
Respondent for the 2015 Presidential Elections”.
Atiku’s response was signed by Dr. Livy Uzuokwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria on behalf of 20 other SANs.
They are Kabiru T. Turaki, Chief Chris Uche, Pius A. Akubo,
Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, Adebayo 0. Adelodun, Saka Abimola Isau, Isiyaku Ibrahim,
Paul Erokoro, K.C.O. Njemanze, Eyitayo Jegede, Sebastine T. Hon, Dr. Mike Ozekhome,
Chukwuma-MachukwuUme, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, Dr. Akinpelu Onigbinde, Emeka Etiaba, SAN,
Chief Gordy Uche,Dr. Mrs. V.J.O. Azinge, Emeka Okpoko, Olalekan Ojo.
Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, Adebayo 0. Adelodun, Saka Abimola Isau, Isiyaku Ibrahim,
Paul Erokoro, K.C.O. Njemanze, Eyitayo Jegede, Sebastine T. Hon, Dr. Mike Ozekhome,
Chukwuma-MachukwuUme, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, Dr. Akinpelu Onigbinde, Emeka Etiaba, SAN,
Chief Gordy Uche,Dr. Mrs. V.J.O. Azinge, Emeka Okpoko, Olalekan Ojo.
Other lawyers listed in the petition are Ebenezer Obeya, Emmanuel Enoidem. Peter Afuba,
Prof. Yusuf Dankofa, Prof. Lanre Adeojo, Ahmed Tijjani Uwais, Alexander Ejesieme, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, Chike Okafor, Shikammah K. Sheltu, Jabiro Bashir Mohammed, Silas Joseph Ono,
Dr. Jennifer Abubakar, Jude Daniel Odi and Mohammed Malabo.
Prof. Yusuf Dankofa, Prof. Lanre Adeojo, Ahmed Tijjani Uwais, Alexander Ejesieme, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, Chike Okafor, Shikammah K. Sheltu, Jabiro Bashir Mohammed, Silas Joseph Ono,
Dr. Jennifer Abubakar, Jude Daniel Odi and Mohammed Malabo.
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