Tension Already Building Up, What President Buhari, INEC Should Do Immediately-Obasanjo …It’s Tantamount To Calling For Coup-APC Campaign Council
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday alleged that ahead of the presidential election held on Saturday, some officials of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had received what he called ‘blood money’ from some unnamed politicians in the country and had therefore deliberately refused to do the right thing.
The Otta-based retired General has raised the alarm that tension was already building up in the country and he has suggested that a fresh election should be held at disputed polling stations across the country.
Obasanjo appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to prevail on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, to stop the election process and address the allegations raised against the commission from different quarters.
The presidential and National Assembly elections were held on Saturday and the collation of results had since been underway at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned Obasanjo in a letter he personally signed which was titled ‘An appeal for caution and rectification’ alleged that some politicians had in connivance with some INEC officials taken steps to make sure that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines did not work on the Election Day.
‘I am constrained to speak at this point. I crave the indulgence of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, General Muhammadu Buhari, to make this statement because I have had opportunity to keep him aware of what I know is happening and the danger looming ahead.
On many occasions in the past, I have not hesitated to point out lacuna in the action of the President and his government. But as far as the election issues are concerned, the President has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he will want to leave a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
Until last Saturday night, February 25, 2023, the good and noble plan and preparation for the elections seemed to be going well. For the Independent National Electoral Commission, a lot of money was spent to introduce Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the server for immediate transmission of results from the polling stations. It is no secret that INEC officials, at operational levels, have been allegedly compromised to make what should have worked not to work and to revert to manual transmission of results which is manipulated and the results doctored.
The Chairman of INEC may claim ignorance but he cannot fold his hands and do nothing when he knows that election process has been corrupted and most of the results that are brought outside BVAS and server are not a true reflection of the will of Nigerians who have made their individual choice. At this stage, we do not need to wittingly or unwittingly set this country on fire with the greed, irresponsibility and unpatriotic act of those who allegedly gave money to INEC officials for perversion and those who collected the blood money.
Let me appeal to the Chairman of INEC, if his hands are clean, to save Nigeria from the looming danger and disaster which is just waiting to happen. If the Chairman can postpone elections four days to the election, he can do everything to rectify the errors of the last two days – no BVAS, no results to be acceptable; and no uploading through Server, no results to be acceptable.
Whereas, BVAS and Servers have been manipulated or rendered inactive, such results must be declared void and inadmissible for election declaration.
Chairman of INEC, I have thought that you would use this wonderful opportunity to mend your reputation and character for posterity.
Your Excellency, President Buhari Muhammadu, tension is building up and please let all elections that do not pass the credibility and transparency test be cancelled and be brought back with areas where elections were disrupted for next Saturday, March 4, 2023, and BVAS and Server officials be changed. To know which stations or polling units were manipulated, let a committee of INEC staff and representatives of the four major political parties with the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association look into what must be done to have hitch-free elections next Saturday.
Mr. President, may your plan and hope for leaving a legacy of free, fair, transparent and credible election be realized. Mr. President, please don’t let anybody say to you that it does not matter or it is the problem of INEC.
On no account should you be seen as part of the collusion or compromise. When the die is cast, it will be your problem as the Chief Executive of the nation. The Chairman of INEC may sneak out of the country or go back to his Ivory Tower. Your Excellency, thank you for hearing me out.
Compatriot Nigerians, please exercise patience until the wrong is righted. I strongly believe that nobody will toy with the future and fortunes of Nigeria at this juncture’ he wrote.
However in a swift reaction on Monday night, the APC Presidential Campaign Council said what Chief Obasanjo had done was tantamount to calling for a coup against democracy.
The Campaign Council in a statement by Chief Dele Alake, accused the former president of “hypocrisy” and “mischief’.
He further claimed that what Obasanjo had subtly called for in his open letter ‘is a coup against democracy and the constitution’.
‘Luckily, President Buhari is made of a finer and more principled democratic stuff. He will not allow Obasanjo to lure him into tainting his democratic credentials in this regard’ he said- Team@orientactualmags.com
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