2019: Compel Buhari, Atiku to commit to rancour-free polls, Nigerian Diaspora think tank begs EU, UK, US

A Nigerian Diaspora think-tank,  known as We the People of Nigeria has asked leading Western nations to compel the two leading Presidential candidate in the Nigerian election, President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to commit to rancour-free polls ahead of the rescheduled elections.

The group, led by a legal practitioner, Dr Lloyd Ukwu, in a presentation it made to the world’s capitals said that Nigerians were not ready to accept the result of any rigged elections.

A statement signed by the leader of the group said that the diaspora Nigerians have made passionate appeals to the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Union to do all within their powers to ensure that the  Nigerian election is conducted peacefully and creditably.

The statement indicated that Dr Llyod Ukwu-led team had during the  during the visits, met, discussed and engaged with the U.S State Department, U.S Congress and the Senate of the United States of America as well as delivered a letter to the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Cohen, in New York all in a bid to ensure the success of the Nigerian elections.

The statement read: “In all the three countries visited, the delegation insisted on their host to ensure that the elections now rescheduled for February 23 and March 9, 2019, are not rigged by any of the parties and that no violence is visited on anyone before, during and after the polls.

“The group asked the foreign nations to insist that Nigerians are not intimidated, threatened, killed or denied their basic human and democratic rights in the course of the elections, warning that Nigerians would not accept the result of rigged polls.

“They three-man delegation called on those countries to impress upon President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP to work towards and election that if fair, and corruption and violence free.”

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The statement  further said, “We ask that efforts are undertaken in advance of the elections to call upon both principal candidates and parties, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Conference (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to pledge to work toward an election that is fair and free from corruption and violence.

“As you may be aware, ominous signs exist in Nigeria at present that suggest the upcoming Nigerian Presidential election may be marred by corruption, vote buying, intimidation of the electorate and sectarian or religious-based violence leading to internal convulsions and violence to the detriment of the Nigerian people and the security of the West African sub region.

“It is essential to the security of Nigeria and the African Continent that the integrity of Nigeria’s Presidential electoral processes is preserved. It is mandatory that an unambiguous message is sent that any violence or electoral misconduct in the upcoming Nigerian Presidential Election will not be discountenanced by USA, Great Britain and the European Union countries. The recent events in Venezuela are at risk of being repeated in Nigeria by the end of this month unless something is done.

“WE THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA therefore respectfully calls upon the international community to use their good offices to speak out for the Nigerian people and ask that efforts are undertaken in advance of the February 23, 2019 election in lieu of simple observers of the anticipated corruption and violence.

“WE THE PEOPLE OF NIGERIA ask the international community to facilitate in-country personal meetings between the international delegates and both Pres. Buhari and former Vice Pres. Abubakar to individually impress upon them the grave importance that the upcoming electoral process must be fair, open and peaceful. We also urge that you will impress upon both candidates and their parties that the international community will not take any contrary actions lightly.”