Why I Shunned Yar’Adua —Buhari
By Tony Orilade/Abuja

The presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has given reasons behind his decision to stay away from the inauguration of President Umar Yar’Adua yesterday at the Eagle Square, Abuja. According to the retired general, he decided to keep away from the ceremony because his presence would amount to endorsing Yar’Adua presidency.

Speaking through his counsel, Chief Mike Ahamba, Buhari said what happened at the Eagle Square yesterday was an illegality and “we don’t have to be party to such an illegality.”

He said “the outcome of Yar’Adua’s election is still being challenged at the tribunal and until the outcome of the processes at the tribunal, we are not going to recognise Yar’Adua’s presidency.”

Ahamba explained that Yar’Adua, was also aware of the many flaws in the election. “If I were him, I will not avail myself for inauguration as that would amount to building a house on a weak foundation since he admitted that the election was fraudulent. Such a house, no matter the amount spent on the building, is bound to collapse.”

He revealed that Buhari’s legal team would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.

Yar’Ádua yesterday also admitted that the election that produced him as president had shortcomings. “We acknowledge that our elections were not perfect. We have established legal avenues of redress and I urge everyone aggrieved to pursue them,” he stated.

This contradicts the position of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who said that it is only an insane person that would say that the 2007 election was anything but a success.