Former military Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections, General Abdulsalami Abubakar on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 reveled that he was able to get a commitment from President Goodluck Jonathan that the forthcoming general elections, scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 28 and Saturday, April 11, 2015 will be free and fair.
Abubakar made this known while addressing State House correspondents after leading members of the National Peace Committee to a closed door meeting with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Other members of the committee present at the meeting included the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar III; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh; Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah; and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe.
Abubakar said: “We (the committee members) have briefed him (the President) and he has given us his assurance of conducting free, fair and violence-free elections. And this is what this committee is all about.
“Tonight or tomorrow morning, we will meet with General Buhari for the same purpose. We will get commitment to ensure that the followers, the politicians and indeed all Nigerians make sure that there is free, fair and peaceful elections.”
On how comfortable he was with the current political environment, Abubakar said: “From what we have seen, this campaign has been filled with campaign of calumny and we have talked with all the contestants, party leaders to try to get their supporters and campaign committee to please try to ensure for God’s sake let us not make these elections personal.
“There shouldn’t be any insults. Let us not play politics of bitterness and I do hope they have listened to us and they are working as much as they can, so they told us.”
