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Save Nigeria Network, a civil society organsiation has accused the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of hiring foreign agents to manipulate results of the 2019 general elections.
Report emerged last week that the report that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had hired the firm of Brian Ballard, a top US lobbyist, ahead of the 2019 elections.
The firm is expected to receive $90,000 per month.
However, SNM said the PDP and Atiku only hired the foreign firm to manipulate results of the 2019 polls like Russia did in America two years ago.
Dr. Abraham Abayomi, Convener Pro-Tempo, raised the alarm that the decision to hire the American to meddle in Nigeria’s election showed a troubling pattern that Atiku has no interest in running Nigeria for Nigerians.
In a statement forwarded to our reporter on Sunday, Abayomi warned Nigerians to be wary of the kind of foreign interference that the Atiku/Ballard marriage will produce.
He said, “We are compelled to invite you for this press briefing after news broke that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has hired a United States firm and lobbyist, Brian Ballard to work for his campaign.
“We are saddened that the PDP and Atiku’s loyalist are hailing the $90 thousand Dollars or N31.5 million per month hire as the next best thing after the creation of mankind when they should reasonably be crying for being out of touch with reality.
“Only wickedness marinated in ignorance should make anyone see such betrayal of one’s nation as worthy of celebration. The hire is wrong on many level.
“First, for a candidate that is selling the lies of being an apostle of restructuring, engaging Brian Ballard for that amount is the hallmark of irresponsible. Part of the restructuring Nigeria needs is the urgent trimming down of election cost so that decent people that do not have access to stolen public funds can contest and possibly win elections to contribute their quota to national development.
“But where Atiku remains obsessed with doling out to Americans part of the left over from the resources he personalized from his Vice Presidency days then reducing the cost of elections will remain a myriad and majority of those that will contest and likely win will remain treasury looters.
“We have cause to believe that the hiring of Brain Ballard is not because he is a publicist but because the $90 thousand monthly is a bribe or fees for helping Atiku commit a fresh round of crime to wit forging and manipulating documents to enable him again enter the US. Part of Ballard’s assignment, as we have been made to understand, is to lobby Americans to spare Atiku the prospect of serving jail term when he visits.
The decision to hire this dangerous American to meddle in Nigeria’s election shows a troubling pattern that Atiku has no interest in running Nigeria for Nigerians.