The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is in London on the invitation of the British government.

This is according to the Director, Public Affairs of the PDP Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Senator Dino Melaye, who spoke against the background of an online media report which suggested the former vice president may have been flown to the United Kingdom for treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Melaye, who travelled out of the country with main opposition party flag bearer and was asked to confirm the report, asked that the news be disregarded as according to him, Atiku remains hale and hearty.

He said the former vice president was invited just as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, and that of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, had previously been invited by the same British government.

Melaye said in a WhatsApp message said: “Disregard the lies of unrepentant liars. Atiku is 100% fit and in super form healthwise.

“The British Government invited the leading presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, just like they had invited Bola Tinubu and Peter Obi earlier.

“Nigerians should henceforth disregard drug induced statements propelled by Ikebe super like online medium.”

Meanwhile, the PDP presidential candidate has expressed concern over the Saturday’s attack on Ekehen train station in Igueben local government area of Edo State during which an undetermined number of people were kidnapped by armed men.

A press release signed by his Media Office on Sunday noted that the unfortunate incident “is the latest in a long condemnable line of security breaches previously unseen in our national history.”

While condoling with victims of the attack and their families, the foremost presidential contestant said, “the thoughts of my family and I are with the abducted and their families as we pray for their safe return.”

He remarked further that, “while we pray, it is important to also point out that this serves as the latest reminder on the urgent need to reform our security architecture to better safeguard the lives and properties of the Nigerian citizens.”

The former Vice President enunciate means through which national security could be enhanced to include, amending our constitution to allow for state and community policing as a first line of security.

He also noted that our security apparatus must pay a greater premium to intelligence gathering and crime prevention than our current reactive approach.

“It is unacceptable for terrorists to plan attacks of this nature, mobilize arms and ammunition, secure funding and move large numbers of people across large spaces without detection by the security agencies,” he said.

He noted the use of technology towards tracking these terrorists and degrading their existing capacity to attack our people across the country.”

Furthermore, the PDP presidential candidate advocates “applying diplomatic pressures needed to stem the free flow of light arms and assault weapons across the West African sub-region and through our borders.

“By doing this we will severely restrict the capacity for terrorists to re-arm themselves to execute attacks.

Atiku said these policy proposals should be followed by “greatly reducing the numbers of out of school children on our streets and improving the economy to create jobs for vast numbers of unemployed Nigerians, thereby reducing the pool from which these terrorists recruit people for their nefarious activities.”

According to him, “I believe these actions will go a long way towards reducing incidents of insecurity and providing the secure environment needed for economic growth.”

He noted that he shall commit to implementing these initiatives if Nigerians trust him with their mandate and elect him as president at the election next month. (Nigerian Tribune)

•Atiku

Update news