Nigeria. May 22, 2023. Independent Newspapers.
EJIKEME OMENAZU
It is no longer news that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has started hearing the cases filed by both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidates, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, respectively, against the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and its declared winner of the 2023 presidential election, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Worried over the current situation in the country, especially the tension that has been generated across the land by the elections and the aftermath, two diaspora pressure groups, the PO Support Network (POSN) and the Diaspora Action for Democracy (DAD), have written to the UK Prime Minister, The Right Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP, to show more than a passing interest in the cases that are before the presidential tribunal.
According to an excerpt of the letter dated May 14, 2023 made available to Sunday Independent, the two groups, noted that: “The general elections were fundamentally flawed as widely reported by notable diplomats, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Media, and international election observers, including the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM).
“On the election days, there were widespread violence, vote rigging, ballot box snatching, vote buying, bribery, figures-manufacturing, result falsification, institutional electoral fraud, election officials failing to upload thousands of election results into INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal.
“There was a gross violation of the Nigeria Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022, especially Section 60(4) and Section 60(5) of the Act which stipulates how/where the election results should be announced and the approach for the transmission of election results.”
The groups asked the UK Prime Minister to: “Express grave concern over the fundamentally flawed election characterised by widespread violence, vote rigging, ballot box snatching, vote buying, bribery, figures manufacturing, result falsification, electoral fraud, and gross violation of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022.
“Hold the Nigerian government accountable for widespread protests and any breakdown of law and order over the institutional electoral fraud perpetrated during the 2023 General Elections.
“Make greater efforts to protect the integrity of democracy in Nigeria; Ensure that your administration imposes a series of sanctions on all politicians, government officials, and families involved in electoral fraud in Nigeria.
“Insist that the Nigeria Judiciary, the National Assembly, and the Executive uphold fairness, transparency, justice, principles of democracy, and defend the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act 2022.”
The groups’ statement issued after the urgent letter of appeal was submitted to the UK Prime Minister, was signed by the groups’ representatives, Dr Udeinya Onovo, Head of Strategy & Research, Dr Innocent Nweke, Deputy Coordinator (Operations), and Mr Princewill Urum, Global Coordinator UK & Diaspora (Europe).
Through the statement, the Nigerians in Diaspora urge UK Prime Minister, The Right Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP, to look into what they termed the “Institutional Electoral Fraud in Nigeria”.
The groups stated: “In continuation of our effort to ensure that the ‘stolen mandate’ is retrieved using all available legal means, the representatives of the PO Support Network (POSN) and the Diaspora Action for Democracy (D. A. D) on Sunday, May 14, 2023, delivered an election petition letter to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, The Right Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP.”
“The two groups, POSN and D. A. D, whose members are mainly Nigerians in the Diaspora, maintained that they are committed to ensuring good governance, hence they are urging the UK government to do more to avoid the collapse of democracy and a breakdown of law and order in Nigeria.
The groups’ leaders stressed that they were worried that the tension in Nigeria may escalate over the fundamentally flawed Presidential and National Assembly Elections held on February 25, 2023, and the Governorship and State Assembly Elections held on March 18, 2023, in Nigeria.
They added: “By the election petition letter, the UK Government is being reminded that notable diplomats, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the Media, and international election observers, including the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) have issued official reports denouncing the 2023 General Elections, particularly the presidential election.
“These distinguished bodies have described the 2023 General Election in Nigeria as chaotic, fraudulent, rigged, non-credible, and lacking transparency.”
They stated: “Nigerians are unhappy with INEC and the Nigerian government over widespread violence and allegations of institutional electoral fraud.
“The situation is worrisome because how much longer would the people of Nigeria exercise restraint and hold their peace before taking matters into their hands is unclear.
“A major crisis may break out soon if the situation in that country does not receive serious attention and intervention from the UK and the International Community. It may suffice to say that the UK needs to act quickly to calm the building tension and threat of widespread disorder in Nigeria.”
On what the UK Government could do, the POSN and D. A. D. urged His Excellency, Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, The Right Hon. Rishi Sunak, MP, to: “Ensure that the fundamentally flawed election characterised by widespread violence, vote rigging, ballot box snatching, vote buying, fatalities, bribery, figures-manufacturing, result falsification, electoral fraud, and gross violation of the Nigeria Constitution and the Electoral Act 2022is not swept under the carpet.
“Hold the Nigerian government accountable for widespread protests and any breakdown of law and order over the institutional electoral fraud perpetrated during the 2023 General Elections.
“Make greater efforts to protect the integrity of democracy in Nigeria; Ensure that the UK imposes a series of sanctions on all politicians, government officials, and families involved in electoral fraud in Nigeria.”
The UK government, they maintained, should “Insist that the Nigeria Judiciary, the National Assembly, and the Executive uphold fairness, transparency, justice, principles of democracy, and defend the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act 2022.”
The UK government, they added, should “Formally inform the Nigerian Government that they are interested in the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) proceedings and charge the Judiciary to deliver a fair and credible judgment.”
The POSN and D. A. D. informed that they are “Providing financial, legal, and intellectual support in several ongoing lawsuits in Nigeria in the hope that the judiciary, through the courts, would do the right thing by upholding justice and truth to restore the confidence of the Nigerian people.”
They maintained that “The courts, including the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, have a duty to resolve the presidential election petitions and other torrid issues like some candidates and their running mates unqualified to contest, and many candidates not meeting the requirements to be declared winner.”
According to them, “Section 134 (2) (a-b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which states that a candidate for an election to the office of President must, in addition to other requirements, secure ‘not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja’ must be defended.”
The POSN and DAD profoundly commended what they termed “the priceless sacrifice and steadfastness” of Nigerians in the battle to reclaim the allegedly “stolen mandate”, and urged everyone to remain law abiding, focused, relentless, and strategic.
Speaking further to Sunday Independent, Dr Udeinya Onovo, maintained that the Nigerians in diaspora have not completely lost confidence in the Nigeria Judiciary despite what he termed “their obvious inconsistencies and several unconvincing interpretations and judgments in the last decade or thereabouts.”
According to him, “We reckon that several people would recall the recent Supreme Court judgment that declared a highly influential person who did not participate in party primaries as winner.
“For us, in comparison with the judiciary in countries like the UK, it is obvious the Nigerian Judiciary has a lot more to learn, and perhaps, it is ripe for extensive reforms to strengthen its independence, constructiveness, and rigour.”
On whether request to the UK Prime Minister, if accepted, will not amount to interference in the internal affairs of Nigeria, contrary to International Conventions of both the Commonwealth and the United Nations (UN), Onovo stated: “First, we have never called on the UK Government or any country to intervene or interfere in the affairs of Nigeria, a sovereign state.
“However, we must be mindful that the UK is a leading democracy. Both the UK and Nigeria are members of the Commonwealth family and should learn from each other.
“So, our letter to the UK Prime Minister and First Lord of Treasury, His Excellency Rishi Sunak, MP, is a reminder that the UK should show deep concern over the plight of the Nigerian people who have suffered terribly under bad political leadership mostly forced on them through institutional electoral fraud.”
When told that the presidential election petitions may not be concluded before the May 29 presidential inauguration, Onovo stated: “We are worried. Our position is that there should be an order of a court of competent jurisdiction, or PEPT to suspend presidential inauguration until the presidential election petitions are concluded and a judgment delivered by the apex court in the land.
“Meanwhile, our members would continue to offer legal, financial, and intellectual support in several ongoing lawsuits in Nigeria. Hopefully, the judiciary would rise to the occasion and uphold justice and truth.”
Asked if the groups are not worried that a cross section of Nigerians may see them as creating more tension in the country by internationalising what should be regarded as the nation’s internal problem, by the petition to the UK Prime Minister, Onovo informed: “We have been receiving tremendous eulogy from Nigerians and people of good will from almost all the corners of the globe.
“Those who have followed us do know that we stand for truth, fairness, justice, equity, credibility, resourcefulness, transparency, and positive transformation. We are moved by the parlous state of Nigeria and are desperate for a New Nigeria that would command overwhelming respect across the globe. So, we would continue doing what is best to help in the birth of a New Nigeria.”
Asked if he was aware that some people are already calling for the blacklisting of the Obi-dient Movement over an alleged call for Interim Government in Nigeria which many see as unconditional, Onovo stressed: “It is obvious that Obi-dients are peace loving people and have been law abiding unlike the legions of supporters of a few notorious political parties that see rigging, thuggery, violence, theft, arson, and brutality as tools for election victory.
“The brigands are known giving tonnes of verified video and audio recording of political party agents openly threatening members of the Obi-dient Movement and Nigerians. Obi-dients have shown remarkable restraint and caution in the face of incessant provocation and threats by known persons and groups.”
