The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has asked the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to instruct the collation officers for Saturday’s elections to upload the results to the commission’s server immediately.

Atiku said this has become necessary to checkmate some governors who he said were trying to compromise the results at the local government collation areas.

The former Vice President said this via a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Paul Ibe.

“It will be a disservice to Nigerians and a negation to democracy for anyone to subvert the will of the people as freely expressed in their votes of yesterday,” Ibe said.

Atiku’s aide further urged Nigerians to be calm but vigilant to ensure that “anti-democratic elements who are masquerading as progressives do not steal their mandate.”

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“And in what is already turning out to be a nail-biting race in the 2023 Nigerian presidential elections, early results from polling units and exit polls indicate that Atiku Abubakar is projected to become the first candidate to meet the mandatory 25% requirement of votes cast in at least 24 states.

“According to the latest projections, Atiku is also set to exceed expectations in at least 10 states, where he is projected to garner over 40% of the votes cast,” he added.

Ibe quoted Atiku as expressing his gratitude to Nigerians for their support so far and pledged to continue to work hard to earn their trust and confidence.

“We are humbled and honoured by the early projections, which indicate that the Nigerian people have seen in Atiku Abubakar the kind of leader that they want to lead them into a brighter future.

“While it is still too early to predict the final outcome of the elections, Atiku Abubakar’s early success has certainly put him in a strong position as the race enters its final stages.

“From the current figures that are available, Atiku is winning in many states in the 6 geo-political zones, except Lagos and Kano. We urge our members and party agents to remain steadfast and watchful,” he stated.

The Star