PDP to Buhari: Your best birthday gift to Nigerians is credible elections

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on his 76th birthday.

In a statement issued on Monday, the party told the president his best birthday gift to the country should be allowing credible elections in 2019.

The party said at the age of 76, Buhari has attained “a father-figure position” and should “do everything to respect the aspirations and will of the Nigerian people on all issues.”

“The PDP urges President Buhari to leave a lasting legacy by doing all within his powers to ensure that the nation he leads knows peace; to ensure that rules are obeyed and that the sensibilities of the people, in our diversities are fully respected,” the statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, read.

The party added that the 2019 elections place a “heavy responsibility” on the shoulders of President Buhari to guarantee a free and fair election “by ensuring that all electoral laws and rules are obeyed” and that “opposition members are not molested.”

“If President Buhari looks at the state of the nation today, he will discover, and we believe he is aware, that the situation has become horrendous for the average Nigerian,” the party said.

“In all, the best gift President Buhari can give Nigerians is, having openly agreed that he lacks the capacity to manage our economy, to allow a credible election to enable Nigerians to vote our Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who understands the nuances of our national challenges and who has a blue print for economy recovery, to come and turn things around for all our people, while he withdraws to Daura for a well-deserved rest.”