Jonathan assured us of fair and free election , says Abdusalami Abubakar

A former Head of State, Gen. Abubakar Abdusalami, on Wednesday said he had extracted a commitment from President Goodluck Jonathan that the forthcoming general elections will be free,

fair and credible.

Abdusalami said this while speaking with State House correspondents shortly after leading members of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections to a closed-door meeting with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

As a military leader, Abdusalami voluntarily handed over to a democratically elected government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999.

Other members of the former military leader’s group that attended the meeting with Jonathan 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.

Abdusalami recalled that both Jonathan and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), signed a peace accord in other to ensure there is peace during, before and ‎after the general elections.

The former military leader said as a result of that accord, a peace committee was set up to ensure free, fair and violence-free elections.

He said all members of that committee decided to meet the President and to tell him what they have discussed with all the stakeholders and the role he as the Commander-in-Chief has to play.

He added that their message to Jonathan also included what the committee expected from him as a contestant in the presidential race.

He 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 committe is all about.

“Tonight or tomorrow morning, we will meet with Gen. 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.”

When asked if he is comfortable with the current political environment ahead of the elections, Abdusalami 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.”