Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has demanded the cancellation of last weekend’s presidential election results where the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioned.
Obasanjo, who made the call in a letter
titled: “2023 Nigeria Presidential Election: An Appeal For Caution and
Rectification,” and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, urged the
president to avert looming danger by ordering the cancellation of results in
all elections that failed integrity test.
He also asked the chairman of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to save Nigeria from a
disaster waiting to happen.
The ex-president alleged that the election
has been compromised following the INEC’s refusal to upload the election
results on its platform.
He also accused the politicians of colluding
with INEC officials to corrupt the electoral process and steal the mandate of
the people against their will.
Obasanjo made the call after the spokesman of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign council, Dino Melaye
led the party agents and officials to walk out of the National Collation Centre
in Abuja over alleged over-voting in Ekiti.
Read Mr Obasanjo’s full statement below.
READ THE STATEMENT IN FULL
PRESS RELEASE
2023 NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
– AN APPEAL FOR CAUTION AND RECTIFICATION
Nigerian Brothers and Sisters, greetings to
you all.
I am constrained to speak at this point.
I crave the indulgence of the President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency General Muhammadu Buhari, to
make this statement because I have had opportunity to keep him aware of what I
know is happening and the danger looming ahead.
On many occasions in the past, I have not
hesitated to point out lacuna in the action of the President and his
government. But as far as the election issues are concerned, the President has
proved beyond reasonable doubt that he will want to leave a legacy of free,
fair, transparent and credible elections.
Until last Saturday night, February 25, 2023,
the good and noble plan and preparation for the elections seemed to be going
well. For the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a lot of money
was spent to introduce Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the Server
for immediate transmission of results from polling units. It is no secret that
INEC officials, at operational level, have been allegedly compromised to make
what should have worked not to work and to revert to manual transmission of
results which is manipulated and the results doctored.
The Chairman of INEC may claim ignorance but
he cannot fold his hands and do nothing when he knows that election process has
been corrupted and most of the results that are brought outside BVAS and Server
are not true reflection of the will of Nigerians who have made their individual
choice. At this stage, we do not need wittingly or unwittingly to set this
country on fire with the greed, irresponsibility and unpatriotic act of those
who allegedly gave money to INEC officials for perversion and those who collected
the blood money. Let me appeal to the Chairman of INEC, if his hands are clean,
to save Nigeria from the looming danger and disaster which is just waiting to
happen. If the Chairman can postpone elections four days to the election, he
can do everything to rectify the errors of the last two days – no BVAS, no
result to be acceptable; and no uploading through Server, no result to be
acceptable.
Whereas, BVAS and Servers have been
manipulated or rendered inactive, such results must be declared void and
inadmissible for election declaration. Chairman INEC, I have thought that you
would use this wonderful opportunity to mend your reputation and character for
posterity.
Your Excellency, President Buhari Muhammadu,
tension is building up and please let all elections that do not pass the
credibility and transparency test be cancelled and be brought back with areas
where elections were disrupted for next Saturday, March 4, 2023, and BVAS and
Server officials be changed. To know which stations or polling units were
manipulated, let a Committee of INEC staff and representatives of the four
major political parties with the Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association look into
what must be done to have hitch-free elections next Saturday. Mr. President,
may your plan and hope for leaving a legacy of free, fair, transparent and
credible election be realised. Mr. President, please don’t let anybody say to
you that it does not matter or it is the problem of INEC. On no account should
you be seen as part of the collusion or compromise. When the die is cast, it
will be your problem as the Chief Executive of the nation. The Chairman of INEC
may sneak out of the country or go back to his ivory tower. Your Excellency,
thank you for hearing me out.
Compatriot Nigerians, please exercise
patience until the wrong is righted. I strongly believe that nobody will toy
with the future and fortune of Nigeria at this juncture.
Long live Nigeria in peace, security,
stability and in the hope for greater future.
OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
February 27, 2023
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