Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the 2023 electoral process, calling on the president to act fast and save the country from plunging into crisis.
Obasanjo’s letter is coming on the heels of the concerns raised by Nigerians over the alleged discrepancies regarding the results of the just concluded 2023 presidential and national assembly elections held last Saturday.
In the letter, Obasanjo said tension was already building up, even as he asked Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to reschedule elections in the affected areas were concerns were raised.
Obasanjo claimed that INEC had compromised its officials in order to manipulate the election process by reverting to the manual transmission of results, rather than using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for immediate transmission of results from polling units.
He warned that such actions by INEC might set Nigeria on fire, asking Yakubu to correct the mistakes of the previous two days, saying any results modified or made inactive should be deemed unlawful and inadmissible for election declaration.
The former Nigerian leader also advised that all elections that did not pass the credibility and transparency criteria be annulled and rescheduled for next Saturday, March 4, 2023, in places where polls were interrupted.
Obasanjo said that President Buhari must avoid being viewed as complicit or compromising in the electoral process, while calling on the president to guarantee that the elections were free, fair, transparent, and credible.
Obasanjo wrote, “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,” the letter reads.
“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.”
Several Nigerians including agents of political parties – aside those of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – have rejected the results of some states currently being announced at the national collation centre in Abuja by INEC.
They allege that the results do not reflect the will of Nigerians, noting that there were issues of violence, over-voting, non-functionality and non-adherence to the use of BVAS to transmit results directly from polling units, unavailability of results on the INEC server, among others.
