The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday took a swipe at the embattled American President, Donald Trump, saying he has a lot of integrity lessons to learn from Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.
Assessing the saga trailing the United States of America’s Presidential election last week, Nigeria’s ruling party in a statement by it’s Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee ( CECPC), Senator James John Akpanudoedehe said Trump’s integrity nearly marred the sanctity of the electoral system and political institutions of the country.
APC condemned the post-election saga in America which it said has tainted the democratic credentials of the country as the touchstone for elections in other democracies.
Nigeria’s governing party noted that unlike President Buhari, who despite several electoral defeats, followed due process to challenge the outcome of the elections, the American President fell short in integrity test but for the strong institutions in the country that salvaged the situation.
The statement read in part: “The events of the past 72hrs in the United States of America is to say the least condemnable. Over time, the elections of the US has been used as a touchstone for elections in other democracies.
“It is settled that strong institutions are fundamental to the sustenance of democracies. However, this US election saga strongly underscores the fact that the integrity of the country’s leader essentially complements the workings of these institutions.”
President Muhammadu Buhari contested and lost elections a couple of times and followed the process through to the Supreme Court on all accounts. This is an outstanding credential of a true democrat.”
The party boastfully claimed that upon gaining victory in 2015, the APC-led administration has carried out fundamental reforms to strengthen the country’s political institutions, in order to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
Citing the non-interference in the functions of the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC noted that it contested elections; won some, lost some without splitting hairs.
“In fact, at some point, the APC lost over 5 states to the PDP, yet we allowed democracy to prevail. We have remained resolute in our belief that in every electoral contest, the popular will must prevail.
“This is a far cry from the days of the do-or-die politics of PDP, where civilians took control of the security apparatus to subvert the people’s will and determine the outcome of elections,” it added.