Nigerians living in the United Kingdom have written their host government, asking it to impose sanctions on individuals and families responsible for electoral fraud perpetrated in Nigeria during the 2023 general elections.
A copy of the letter, obtained by News Band, entitled “United Kingdom Should Condemn Electoral Fraud in Nigeria and Impose Sanctions on Individuals and Families“, was addressed to high-ranking officials of the government.
The writers bitterly complained of large quantities of PVCs illegally dumped in bushes, drains, holes, and bins in Anambra, Rivers, Lagos, etc., underaged children accredited and allowed to vote, blocking the uploading and transmission of presidential election results using compromised BVAS, using hoodlums armed with weapons in Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Kogi, others to disdrupt process on the election day, discriminatory ethnic profiling against Igbos, large-scale mutilation, manufacturing, and falsification of election results, et al.
The letter sought, amongst other things, the condemnation of electoral fraud and violence that marred the elections, creating of awareness on the possible implications of civil unrest or outbreak of war in Nigeria, need for both the UK Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to make greater efforts to protect the integrity of democracy in Nigeria and not to recognise or accept the outcome of a fraudulent presidential election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but to sanction all politicians, government officials and families involved in the electoral fraud, and to pressure the Nigerian Judiciary, National Assembly, and Executive to uphold the principles of democracy, ensure justice, and defend the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act 2022.
The letter reads in full:
“I am writing this letter as a British Nigerian to highlight my grave concerns on the large-scale electoral fraud that took place in Nigeria on 25 February 2023 and the way one of the presidential candidates was horridly declared as winner.
Prior to that election, Nigerians were hopeful that their votes would count on the back of reassurance given by the Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari. Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made widely publicised reassuring statements in both the mainstream media and in the Chatham House UK that a technology called Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed for the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria for the collation, recording, uploading, and the transmission of polling unit level results in real-time.
However, in conducting the Presidential and National Assembly Elections on February 25, 2023, INEC jettisoned electoral best practice processes and violated the Electoral Act 2022, regulations, and the Nigerian Constitution.
Despite all the assurance and reassurance, INEC failed to uphold due process, electoral laws, and regulations. Some of the large-scale irregularities orchestrated by the electoral commission include:
- Very late arrival of INEC officials at many polling units.
- Exclusion of opposition party logo, especially those of the Labour Party, from the election ballot papers used in several states in the southern geopolitical zones, for example, Lagos State. In some case the party logo of New Nigerian People’s Party appeared deliberated blurred, not easily identifiable on the ballot papers.
- Large quantities of PVCs illegally dumped in bushes, drains, holes, and bins across several states (like Anambra, Rivers, Lagos) before the election.
- After the election, several election result booklets were discovered in bushes, and this was reported by the media.
- Underaged children were accredited and allowed to vote in some states in the northern geopolitical zones’ contrary to the provisions of the law.
- Deliberate violation of procedures by election officials who failed or refused to upload and electronically transmit polling unit level results in real-time.
- Using compromised BVAS that were apparently programmed to block the uploading and transmission of presidential election results in real-time.
- On the election day, hoodlums armed with weapons freely roamed over parts of Rivers, Lagos, Edo, Kogi and several other states, engaging in daylight snatching, attack on innocent people, and destruction of election materials in several polling units.
- Armed brutes taking over several polling units in parts of the south-west and south-south, though this appeared more rampant in Lagos and Rivers State, to intimidate both the voters and election officials, destroy election materials, and cause injury on people.
- Discriminatory ethnic profiling was at play and people of a particular tribe were warned in several polling units in Lagos State to stay away from participation in the general election or face dire consequence.
- Large-scale mutilation, manufacturing, and falsification of election results in a manner that is unimaginable and unprecedented in Nigeria’s history. This is well documented by the media.
- Inadequate security at several polling units given how miscreants easily overpowered security personnel and stole or destroyed election materials.
- Some rogue security agents and compromised election officials by openly colluding with anti-social elements to create confusion, cause a breach of the peace, and violate the integrity of the ballot.
Given the large-scale electoral fraud, the international election observers have collectively and emphatically condemned the general election. Some describing it as “chaotic” and not meeting the minimum standard for a free, fair, and credible election in a democratic country.
It may interest you to note how the media, independent election observers, diplomats, civil society organisations, and other notable institutions have described the February 25, 2023, poll.
- “Elections held on schedule, but lack of transparency and operational failures reduced trust in the process and challenged the right to vote.” (EU Election Observation Mission Nigeria, 27th February 2023).
- It was a “chaotic” election. (The Guardian, 1st March 2023).
- “It is clear that the electoral process as a whole on 25 February failed to meet Nigerians’ expectations.” (US Ambassador in Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, 5th March 2023).
- The election “fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations,” the former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, who led a team of independent election observers, said.
- The INEC “performance and controversies over these results mean that the electoral reforms and lessons declared to have been learned were not fully applied” with the commission failing 2to adhere to its own statements and guidelines, which derive from its laws.” (Chatham House, 1st March 2023).
Nigeria is a member of Commonwealth of Nations and has strong ties with the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union. 230,842,743 (2023 est.) is the Nigeria population. Nigeria is a major oil producer in the world and tops the list of oil producers in Africa. These facts underscore the strategic importance of that country.
The result of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023, which was announced by INEC is now a matter before the Nigerian Judiciary because several presidential candidates and political parties that feel cheated in the process have filed election petitions. However, going by the previous election related matters/judgements, endemic corruption, and the lack of judicial independence in Nigeria, most Nigerians do not have much confidence in the judiciary. As of this moment, the electoral commission, INEC, has deliberately delayed or refused to comply with the Court of Appeal order granted on March 3 that the candidates of Labour Party (LP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) be granted access to inspect all the sensitive materials the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deployed for the conduct of the presidential election.
The Nigerian people whose hopes were high are now on edge following this disappointing outcome of the general election. The situation in that country is precarious now. If the wishes of the great number of Nigeria populace is subverted and suppressed, war could break out in that country, and if it does, the effect of that would be felt in the UK and in other parts of the Western World and beyond. It may suffice to say that ignoring these issues, especially the recent monumental electoral fraud, could lead to civil unrest and further destabilisation in this already fragile country.
The UK would certainly have to deal with more refugees and asylum seekers in the event of a major crisis like war. The financial cost would be massive on the British taxpayers. So, it is in the UKs interest to take a firm stand and use diplomatic processes to apply pressure on the INEC chairman and the Nigerian Government to respect court orders. The UK should insist that the Nigerian Judiciary correctly interprets/applies the laws of the land by upholding justice no matter the parties involved.
As a firm believer in democratic principles, I am deeply appalled at the ways in which INEC had conducted the election held on February 25, 2023. I am therefore appealing that your office:
- Condemn electoral fraud and violence that marred the election held on 25 February 2023.
- Share my concerns in the UK Parliament during plenary sessions to raise the awareness of the British populace on the possible implications of civil unrest or outbreak of war in Nigeria given the current tension in that country.
- Urge both the UK Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary to make greater efforts to protect the integrity of democracy in Nigeria.
- Insist that it would be improper for the UK Government to recognise or accept the outcome of a fraudulent presidential election announced by INEC.
- Urge the UK Government to sanction all politicians, government officials and families involved in electoral fraud in Nigeria.
- Insist that the Nigerian Judiciary, the National Assembly, and the Executive uphold the principles of democracy, ensure justice, and defend the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Act 2022.