NOT challenging the outcome of the February 23 presidential election would be a great disservice to the nation, Better Nigeria Group (BNG) has told the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Monday, it said it was worried that the conduct of the election was not a good example to the youths of the country.
Reading from a prepared text, spokesman of the group, Dickson Iroegbu, said from the group’s deliberations, consultation with stakeholders and sampling of the opinions of Nigerians, the outcome of the election does not reflect the mood of the nation.
He said: “That the outcome of the presidential election which took place, on the 23rd February 2019, does not reflect the choice and the mandate of Nigerians.
“The spate of deliberate irregularities aimed at tilting the results toward the incumbent and the candidate of the All Progressive Congress and the subsequent declaration of victory for the same candidate is an assault on our democracy. It is no news that this declared result does not reflect the mood of the citizens and how they voted.
“That this brazen impunity should not be allowed to stand unchallenged otherwise amongst other things, our democracy will be dead forever.
“The electoral process is the beacon of democracy and remains so. Elections must not only be credible but must be seen as credible. The sham of an election which took place on the said date and the subsequent declaration leaves so much to wonder about credibility.
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“In a country that already is struggling with severe erosion of societal values, it will be its greatest undoing to allow such broad daylight electoral fraud to stand unchallenged.
“Nigeria as a nation would have lost all moral standard required to try anyone for fraud or even overt robbery. It will be rewarding everything wrong a society that wants to make progress should stand against.”
The group wondered the nation’s youths could be told to desist from cheating when it appeared that government institutions were used to cheat.
BNG added: “For the good of society, it is important that the necessary institutions enshrined with the responsibility to look into these complaints must do so and the right thing is done. This daylight rape on our hard-earned democracy, if allowed to stand, shall signify the end of hope for a better society.
“We, therefore, wish to support the candidate of the PDP, His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to immediately resort to approach the court for redress as this strengthens our democracy in a bid to claim the mandate which the people overwhelmingly gave to him through the ballot box.
“We frown seriously at the perceived contemplation that going to court means reneging on the peace accord, for we understand that the courts are a part of a democratic process and reaching out to them for perceived grievances, does not in any way mean war.
“It is important that the PDP candidate realises and consistently keeps in his memory, that it is not about him but those who have given him the mandate.
“While we understand that he may be under tremendous pressure not to approach the court, we want to remind him that anything short of that shall be tantamount to abandonment of the people’s mandate and shall be a huge disappointment.
“We are disappointed at the seeming cowering of some of the International observers and the international community in rushing to congratulate the President, we are surprised at their action aimed at trying to give some legitimacy to the charade the whole world witnessed on the 23rd of February.
“We will like to remind them that there really cannot be true peace in the face of so much injustice. Not to ask for justice so that there may be peace, is only a short term measure and can be likened to dressing a dirty wound. It will never heal.
“The possible long term impact of allowing this to stay unchallenged is so huge that the country may never recover from its impact.”
The group maintained that if the result were left unchallenged, a lot of Nigerians would be discouraged from voting in future elections.
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