Unic Press UK: Martin Onovo, MNSE, the President of the Strategic Union of Professionals for the Advancement of Nigeria (SUPA), the 2015 presidential candidate of the NCP, and energy/oil/gas engineering consultant spoke during an interview with Unic Press UK.
Onovo, a notable public figure, has a history of being unequivocal and detailed in analysing a range of torrid issues, including the 2023 general election, Nigeria debt profile, energy, oil subsidy, widespread insecurity, economy, politics, and so on. Hear him.
“It seems clear to us that Alhaji Tinubu was fraudulently declared and that the Court will correct it. There are too many disqualifying criteria that will nullify the candidacy of Alhaji Tinubu who was fraudulently declared.”
1. Can the South East make it to the top in any of the Chambers of the National Assembly?
This question may be premature as the winner of the presidential election has to be determined first. The Southeast cannot be both Executive President and also be Senate President or Speaker of the House. It seems clear to us that Alhaji Tinubu was fraudulently declared and that the Court will correct it. There are too many disqualifying criteria that will nullify the candidacy of Alhaji Tinubu who was fraudulently declared. Alhaji Bola Tinubu filed an invalid nomination. He did not provide some of the information required on the nomination form like the primary and secondary schools he attended. International journalist, Mr. David Hundeyin publicly alleged that the Chicago State University certificate he provided is forged. Forgery is a criminal offence. Currently, Alhaji Bola Tinubu is a criminal suspect on perjury and forgery charges in Charge No. CR/121/2022, in an Abuja FCT court. Also, Mr. David Hundeyin has published ‘Certified True Copies’ of a court judgment in Chicago, USA, in which Alhaji Tinubu forfeited about $460,000.00 proceeds of narcotics trafficking. Tinubu has admitted the forfeiture. Also, Tinubu is a dual citizen of Guinea and Nigeria. I presume we all agree that these invalidate the nomination of Alhaji Tinubu.
The conduct of the election was clearly lawless and fraudulent. The BVAS and iReV technology systems were introduced by INEC to ensure transparency and integrity in the elections. They were approved and published in the electoral guidelines. Suspiciously, in November 2022, the ruling party objected to the use of these technology systems for the elections. INEC repeatedly confirmed that these systems will be used. Thereafter, an investigative journalist published that INEC secretly planned to bypass the systems. INEC repeatedly denied the allegation. Then, on the election day, INEC bypassed the systems as alleged. INEC frustrated transparency and integrity and published fraudulent results that have been shown to be criminally forged. INEC disregarded the facts and the complaints of several political parties with impunity and rashly declared Alhaji Tinubu. At a meeting with RECs, the INEC Chairman deceitfully directed that disciplinary actions be initiated against all staff found to be negligent. This was deceitful because, following complaints by political parties, he publicly promised a review of the results but failed to conduct the review. It is clear to us that he was desperate to return Alhaji Tinubu, at all costs. The results declared by INEC are clearly fraudulent because, they are inconsistent with the authentic results in the possession of polling officers, party agents, stakeholders and even with the results published on the INEC IReV portal. INEC in violation of the court order also frustrated the inspection of election materials by the Labour Party. That is an indication of guilt.
It is definitely unreasonable to try to uphold such obviously fraudulent results. All major stakeholders have rightly rejected the forged results including all major political parties, local and international observers, Nigerian workers, Nigerian socio-cultural organisations, CSOs, etc. The results cannot be upheld because they are criminally forged and have been democratically rejected.
2. There is a claim of plots for the installation of an Interim Government made by the DSS and the Information Minister, Lai Mohammed?
Alhaji Lai Mohammed has a reputation for false information. According to Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, “Lai Mohammed is the biggest LIAR in the history of Nig. Politics”. The DSS has become a mercenary organisation without any credibility. The DSS has failed woefully in its responsibilities and must be reformed. The DSS failed to identify the sources of funding for Boko Haram to cut them off. The DSS failed to identify the top government officials indicted for terrorist financing in the Dubai court judgment on Boko haram financing. The DSS failed to identify the sponsors of Boko haram. The DSS recklessly went to court to indict the CBN Governor for terrorist financing without any evidence. The DSS is completely unprofessional and political. It has failed in its responsibilities.
3. Can the judiciary overturn the presidential election considering that it has never happened before in Nigeria?
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the Supreme Court can definitely overturn the presidential election. In 2017, the Kenyan Supreme Court annulled the results of the presidential elections, citing irregularities and ordered a new election within sixty days. According to the Kenyan judgment, the election commission “failed to conduct the presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of the constitution”. We know that INEC also failed to conduct our presidential election in a manner consistent with the dictates of our laws.
Considering the time constraint, former NBA President, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, has published very insightful recommendations on how we can manage the time constraint. These can be reviewed and approved or be modified.
4. What do you expect from the Imo State governorship elections scheduled for November?
We expect brazen electoral fraud and State violence. The State government has been credibly accused in many different cases of sponsoring violence in the State. The failed Nigerian DSS must abandon its partisanship and get the Federal Government to address the issues of brazen electoral fraud and state sponsored terrorism in Imo State
5. Kindly comment on the crisis over the Adamawa Governorship election?
The crisis is over. The ruling party used the REC to declare false results in Adamawa State as it used the INEC Chairman to declare fraudulent results in the presidential elections. The similarities are clear. The INEC Chairman is the highest INEC officer in Nigeria. The REC is the highest INEC officer in Adamawa State. The INEC Chairman announced criminally fraudulent results in favour of the ruling party at 3am while Nigerians were sleeping. The Adamawa REC announced criminally fraudulent results in favour of the ruling party at 9 am before collation could resume by 11am. So, we say, like INEC Chairman, like Adamawa REC. We insist that the INEC Chairman must be investigated and prosecuted first before the Adamawa REC.
