By CHIDI MATTHEW NWACHUKWU

The People?s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate of the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the turnout of events at Osun State, yesterday, describing it as ?a full-scale assault on the democratic process.?

He made the disclosure on his X (formerly Twitter) handle this afternoon, while stressing that yesterday?s incident was ?a chilling display of lawlessness,? and blamed the President, Bola Tinubu, for what he called ?a desperation by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain power at all costs.?

Atiku further described yesterday?s incident in Osun as ?sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy.?

?Nigerians bore witness to a chilling display of lawlessness yesterday, as the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) exposed the depths of its desperation to retain power at all costs ? through sheer political brigandage and the subversion of democracy,? said the former Vice President.

Atiku accused the ruling APC of attempting to hijack the local government elections by unleashing armed thugs and mercenaries on innocent people, and attempting to use brute force in usurping power.

?In Osun State, the APC orchestrated a full-scale assault on the democratic process, attempting to hijack the local government elections through brute force.

?Armed thugs and mercenaries, operating under the party?s protection, launched an audacious bid to seize control of all 30 local government area council secretariats.

?And yet, the so-called national leadership of the APC and the presidency watched in complicit silence,? stated Atiku.

The PDP stalwart further commended Osun people for resisting the attempt to trample their democratic rights underfoot, and declared that Osun State would never succumb to ?the tyranny that sought to break them.?

?Let this be clear: Osun State will never bow to anti-democratic forces. The people have shown beyond doubt that they will not allow their electoral rights to be stolen, no matter the level of intimidation,? stated Atiku.

Atiku further called on the security agencies deployed to oversee the forthcoming election to uphold their ?constitutional duty with professionalism,? and refuse to be used by the ruling party.

?We demand that security agencies deployed for Saturday?s elections uphold their constitutional duty with professionalism, refusing to be used as enforcers of APC?s criminal agenda. The world is watching,? said Atiku.

In conclusion, Atiku urged President Tinubu ?and his band of enablers? to desist from sabotaging the country?s democracy, warning that there would be consequences for such acts.

?President Bola A. Tinubu, @officialABAT, and his dwindling band of enablers must cease their reckless acts of political sabotage ? not just in Osun or Lagos, but across Nigeria. The people demand governance, not chaos. Nigerians will not sit idly while their democracy is hijacked by a power-drunk regime intent on setting the country on fire,? stated Atiku.