By Idris Ibrahim, Abuja
A coalition of activists under the auspices, “Our Mumu Don Do” has urged the United States of America to ensure that the country’s electoral system should not be manipulated during the forthcoming general elections.
The group said this on Friday afternoon during a rally staged at the entrance of the American embassy in Abuja.
Members of the group, who were stationed at the gate of the embassy carrying banners with the inscriptions ‘2019 Elections in Danger’ alleged that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration, would not permit a safe passage of free, fair and credible elections in the country.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had shortlisted 59 presidential candidates who have emerged ahead of next year’s general elections.
But the contest is likely to be decided between the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the major opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP)
The country has experienced an uninterrupted democracy from 1999 till date.
The major opposition, PDP lost the 2015 presidential elections to now APC marking the first time a ruling party would lose reelection after 16 years of reign had accused the ruling party of ‘electoral manipulations’.
However, as the countdown of next year’s election begins, activists in Abuja expressed concern over the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.
Convener of the group, Adeyanju Deji while addressing journalists, tasked the U.S government via it Ambassador not to allow the ruling All Progressive Congress, to ‘rig’ the forthcoming elections.
The full statement:
“We are gathered here today to draw the attention of all Nigerians, lovers of democracy and leaders of conscience all over the world, especially the United States of America, to the danger that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government poses to the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria”
“We are deeply concerned, that our country’s Service Chiefs, who were trained to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity, and the heads of Security agencies, who are saddled with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties of Nigerians without compromise, all decided to recklessly abandon their responsibilities and shamelessly attend a function of unbridled partisanship. It appears that these security chiefs, who are constitutionally empowered to provide security support the electoral umpire in the best interest of our country, have taken sides with, and have become lackeys of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC,” deji said.
“From what we have seen in recent times, we are very worried that the forthcoming elections in 2019, may not be an election between two or more political parties as it is known all over the world, but an ignominious battle between the Security Agencies who now shamelessly stand with the ruling APC against the Opposition political parties in the country.
“We strongly believe that it is an aberration for the ruling APC to use the security agencies to manipulate the electoral system to its benefits, even as such unconstitutional and undemocratic practice has left Nigeria wrecked and in an abysmal state. What’s more, we are highly disappointed by the refusal of President Buhari to sack and replace the service chiefs who have failed to provide solutions to the ever-rising security crises in our country”
“As was recently seen in Ekiti, Osun and the recently concluded Bye Elections in Kogi, Bauchi, Katsina and Kwara states; the partisanship of the security agencies and their pronounced willingness to truncate our democracy by visiting terror on citizens, are major reasons to be extremely concerned going into the 2019 elections. And for this reason, we urge the United States, considering its relationship with Nigeria as a diplomatic partner, to continue to remind president Buhari of the dangers of uprooting the structures of the democracy that we have enjoyed since 1999, and which president Buhari himself has maximally enjoyed from. We fear that oppressed voters may resort to self help in the face of partisanship of security agencies”
“In addition, we would like to call the attention of the United States and its allies to the inhumane and undemocratic scheme of ‘Vote Buying’ that is presently being propagated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) across the country. We believe that this menace is a major attempt by the APC to subvert the will of the electorates by inducing them with money at polling unit”
“Furthermore, we are very worried over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to give presidential assent to the Electoral Amendment Bill passed by the National Assembly. We are almost compelled to think that the president is withholding his assent as he fears that the Amendment Bill which enforces the use of Card Reader as a prerequisite for voting would be to his disadvantage. We, however, believe that the use of Card Reader will eradicate the use of Incident Forms which is a veritable way of writing fictitious results in our elections. We urge the diplomatic community to prevail on President Buhari to sign the amended electoral act”
“We also call on world leaders and partners of Nigeria, especially the United States to put pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the 2019 general elections are free, fair and credible”
“Nigeria as it stands, is in dire need of qualitative leadership at all levels and any attempt to manipulate the electoral system will plunge the nation into serious crisis”
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