February 23 Poll: Buhari’s Victory Illegitimate – Forum Of Nigerian Leaders
BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Forum of Nigerian Leaders and Elders representing PANDEF, NORTHERN ELEDERS FORUM, AFENIFERE, OHANAEZE and MIDDLE BELT FORUM has decried the outcome of the February 23, Presidential and National Assembly elections and insists that Nigerians must stand firm and ensure that they are governed by a legitimate leadership.
The Forum specifically declared that the elections revealed massive irregularities and outright abuse of the electoral laws, the rules and regulations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as the failure of security forces to remain neutral and operate within the highest standards of their calling.
It also noted that the Peace Accord was ridiculed by deliberate and open abuse of organs of the state, the denial of rights of many citizens to vote and blatant abuse of all the commitments made by the administration.
These were contained in a statement jointly signed by the Convener and also the Leader of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof Ango Abdullahi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo for AFENIFERE, Chief John Nwodo – President General OHANAEZE and DR Pogu Bitrus – President of MIDDLE BELT FORUM, in which they noted that the outcome of the elections were clearly premeditated in the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Electoral Act and the orchestrated suspension of Justice Walter Onoghen as the Chiefr Justice of Nigeria (CJN), shortly before the composition of Electoral Tribunals.
The Forum which reviewed major developments leading to the February 23rd Presidential elections, the management of the electoral process and the conduct and announced outcome of the elections, commended the statesmanship and commitment to the democratic process of the PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to exhaust the entire democratic process by challenging the results in the courts as provided for in the constitution.
The Forum further states; “We see his decision as patriotic, responsible and ultimately the highest contribution to the democratic system. Some other person would by now be soaking “baboons and dogs in blood.
“To decline to challenge obviously fictional figures, failures to respect key elements of the electoral process such as use of Smart Card Readers and preventing agents and Observers access to all processes is to condone the massive setback which this election represents for the country.”
The Forum calls on the judiciary to uphold the highest standards of integrity and commitment to its hallowed role by doing justice to the appeals that will come before it knowing that the eyes of the world would be on them.
“We are aware that attempts are being made to demoralize and intimidate the judiciary to remove a conducive context for litigations. We remind the judiciary that it is the last defence of our democratic process.”
The Leaders appeal to all Nigerians to continue to show faith in the democratic process and remain law-abiding as the nation awaits the decisions of the judiciary on a matter that will ultimately determine the quality of our democratic process and the nature of the nation we all call our own.
The Forum members recalled that in endorsing the candidature of Atiku for the election, they did anchor their support on identifying a candidate among many good candidates they interacted with who can retool Nigeria to move on the path of development as a true federal entity.
It noted that the pattern of voting in areas where there were semi-free elections showed an overwhelming endorsements of the Forum’s position by popular votes, adding that the polls results have shown further a badly divided polity that needs a unifier and not a divisive person as a Leader
