Resign now diaspora group tells INEC Chair, Akpabio

… plans massive protest

By Tom Okpe

Leadership of the United Nigerians in Diaspora, (UND) has said it will embark on massive street protest to some Nigerian embassies in Washington DC, some other US cities, London and other major cities in Europe and Asia nations, asking for immediate resignation of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) Prof Mahmoud Yakubu and the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

The group said, INEC Chairman should resign over what they described as ‘conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections,’ while Senate President Akpabio should step aside over allegation of budget padding, raised against him by some Senators.

In a statement released on Monday in Abuja, signed by its President worldwide, Ambassador Yusuf Adeyinka, and its General Secretary worldwide, Comrade Johnson Acheme, the group solicited co-operation of the International Community during the protest periods also, urging foreign nations who practice ideal democracy like the great Britain, United States and other nations of the world to bar the INEC National Chairman and his team members, Senate President, Akpabio and indeed, top echelon of the Nigerian Judiciary who partook in deciding the 2023 elections petitions tribunal matters from entering their countries.

The diaspora group also commended Senator Ningi for his courage to expose budget padding in the National Assembly.

“We, leadership of United Nigerians in the Diaspora, UND, an umbrella body of diaspora groups comprising of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, some European and Asian nations wish to alert Nigerians and the entire International Community on our resolve to hit the streets and Nigerian Embassies in Washington DC, some other US cities, London and other major cities in Europe and Asia nations where our members are domiciled to protest the conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections by the Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu and his team.

“As a body, we have carefully watched the antecedents and actions of the National Chairman vis-a-vis the current happenings and realities in Nigeria and wonder what the hell, he is still waiting for to resign from the position.

“To put the records straight, the 2023 elections where the ineptly corrupt Commission claimed it spent a whooping N300 Billion Naira was not only the most expensive but also the most incredible in our recent history.

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“We recall how the National Chairman and his Commissioner in charge of Public Affairs, a certain Dr Festus Okoye graced every available national and international platforms assuring Nigerians and the rest of the world of a most transparent election using the Biometric Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS) machines that would automatically transmit elections results and data from the various Polling Units across the country to the Commission’s central server.

“These rather noble technological innovations were applauded as we all believed, it would curb the electoral manipulations and malpractices which our electoral system has been known with, through manual accreditation and collation of elections results.”

According to the statement, the most disconcerting is the fact that the said Prof Mahmoud is yet being strategically, positioned by the Tinubu administration to possibly perfect another fraudulent charade in the guise of elections for the incumbent Government, come 2027.

“For emphasis, this global body while commending some Northern Senators, for their courage to speak up on alleged padding of N3 trillion Naira into the initially approved N25 trillion Naira by the President, gives the Senate President, Akpabio only 48 hours to resign his position and face immediate prosecution.

“We also knock the Nigerian Judiciary for stamping fraud and illegality, dubbed 2023 elections by Mahmoud and cohorts.

“That arm of government has since then lost the honour, dignity and respect of many Nigerians who had relied on it as ordinarily the last hope of the common man to remedy the wrongs and defects in the 2023 elections

The group suggested that International passports of Prof Yakubu, his family members and Senator Akpabio and his families be confiscated, ensuring; “there is no hiding place for the Nigerian 2023 election robbers, their accomplices or obviously, corrupt enablers.”