Abubukar “disturbed” by parties’ threats

General Abdulsalami Abubakar said he was “disturbed” by recent threats from one of the country’s political parties to pull out of presidential elections due on 27 February, news agencies reported today. He was referring to the threat by the largest party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), to withdraw if an alliance took place between the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All People’s Party (APP). Abubukar, who was in Amman for the funeral of King Hussein, was represented at the meeting at State House in Abuja yesterday by his deputy, Vice Admiral Okhai Akhigbe. According to AFP, Akhigbe urged the leaders of the three main parties, the PDP, AD and APP to work for the success of the elections.

Akhigbe expressed the government’s concern over recent disagreements both within and between the three main parties, according to Nigerian television. He added that if the situation was not checked, it could “plunge the country into chaos”. Akhigbe asked the APP and the PDP, which are due to hold conventions very soon, to select their presidential candidates with “transparent honesty”, The AD has already nominated Samuel Olu Falae as its presidential candidate.