The leaders of the South West, South East and Middle Belf have rejected the declaration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the presidential poll on February 23, because of gross irregularities and militarisation of the whole process. 

By Emeka Ejere

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s, resolve to challenge the outcome of the 2019 presidential election has received a boost, with leaders of Southern Nigeria and Middle Belt throwing their weight behind him.

The leaders, who also rejected the outcome of the poll, said President Muhammadu Buhari should bear a huge moral burden of the fraud that was perpetrated in the elections.

The former vice president is challenging the re-election of Buhari in court, alleging unprecedented irregularities in the history of Nigeria’s democracy.

At the meeting with the Southern and Middle Belt leaders on Wednesday, March 20, in Abuja, Atiku expressed confidence in the ability of judiciary to do the right thing on the matter.

In a communiqué at the end of the meeting, the regional leaders adjudged the 2019 elections as the lowest moment in the country’s democracy.

The five-point communiqué was signed by Yinka odumakin-South West; Prof Chigozie Ogbu – South-East; Senator Bassey Henshaw – South-South; and Isuwa Dogo – Middle Belt.

The meeting also condemned the role of the security agencies in the polls, describing it as very shameful.

It also resolved to continue to push for the restructuring of the country.

The communique’ read in part: “The meeting adjudged the 2019 elections as the lowest moment in our democratic history as the entire process fell below the minimum standards.

“The total subversion of the will of the people it represented was premeditated with the refusal of the President to sign the Electoral Bill into Law, the undue militarisation of the polls, intimidation of the electorates especially in demographics considered hostile to the ruling party and impetuous manipulation of figures to achieve preconceived ends

“The President should bear a huge moral burden that it was under his Presidency that all the democratic gains we made over the years have been reversed when the contrary was expected from him having railed against alleged malpracises in the three previous elections he lost.

“We reject the declared Winner still: That flowing from above, we cannot accept the declared winner from the elections. We, therefore, endorsed the decision of Alhaji Abubakar and his party to challenge the results in court as the elections result cannot stand the scrutiny of any self-respecting court.

“Towards this end, we call on the judiciary to shun the climate of fear that pervades Nigeria to do justice knowing fully well that the gaze of the entire world is on it.

“We cannot allow the unbecoming role of the military to go unchallenged.

To this end, we demand a high power inquiry into the role of the military in the subversion of the democratic process so that all the culprits can be brought to book.”

– Mar. 22, 2019 @ 02:00 GMT |