By Adadainfo
As Nigerians await the official announcement of the February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, the Eastern Union has called on President Muhammadu Buhari ‘to show bravery and courage to call on the election management body under the chairmanship of Prof Yakubu Mamudu to do everything within its power to respect the will of the Nigerian people which they have expressed through the ballots’.
The body said Buhari should be proactive to ‘save our country from sliding into anarchy and chaos, such that will be difficult to control’.
Hon Charles Anike, EU national president, stated this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday.
According to him, “We congratulate Nigerian electorate for their resilience, sacrifices and commitments to free, fair and credible elections. The massive turnout at the polling centres is very impressive and an indication of high level of political awareness and the willingness of the citizens to take back our country.
“This is why INEC should shun inducements to respect the collective of will of the Nigerian people who did not mind hardships occasioned by the Naira redesign, fuel scarcity, among others.
“They also did not mind the delays and late arrival of electoral materials in many polling centres across the country. Nigerians, both old and young, waited patiently, even far into the night, until they cast their votes. These very sacrifices of Nigerians must never be taken for granted by the INEC.
“Every excuse of BVAS breakdown and unable to load results right at the polling centres is unacceptable and condemnable.
“This last minute horse trading and scheming going on mainly between the INEC leadership and the ruling All Progressives Congress is dangerous to our democracy. Prof Yakubu Mamudu and his team should save Nigeria of bloodshed and calamity by declaring the real results of the elections.
“The INEC should understand that any plan to continue with the rigging plot will be vehemently resisted. Nigerians of today are well informed and must never be taken for granted and we can assure Prof Mamudu that Nigerians are well armed with the genuine and comprehensive results as announced at the polling centres across the country.
“President Buhari must show bravery and courage to fulfill his last minute promises to ensuring free, fair and credible elections that will have integrity. We say this because if he fails to intervene and prevail on the INEC to do the right thing, history will continue to hold him accountable.
“The large turnout of Nigerians at the polling centres must be respected and not negotiated. Despite attacks and all forms of violence and intimidation by the thugs of the Nigerian political bandits and political terrorists, the citizens stood their ground. This is also because Prof Yakubu Mamudu had continued to assure Nigerians that our votes would count.
“Therefore, all other stories of BVAS are entirely INEC’s headaches and not that of Nigerians who have already spoken through the ballot.”
