Nigerians have been urged to ensure they troop out en masse and participate in the electoral process and ensure they wait to defend their votes.
This call is coming ahead of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections coming up on Saturday, 18 March, 2023.
In an open letter to Nigerians, Exalt Nigeria, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting mass participation in the electoral process for good governance, encouraged the electorates to monitor their votes.
“As we ‘celebrated’ International Woman’s Day , and watched violence erupt in Lagos with the burning of Akere spare parts market by a mad fringe, yes, fringe of miscreants and not the good people of Lagos, we enjoin us, for the future of our children and our country, on election day to:
“GO CAMPING, AT YOUR POLLING UNIT, TAKE A ROAD TRIP, TO YOUR COLLATION CENTER, STICK IT OUT TILL RESULTS CONFIRMED, UPLOADED AND ARE REFLECTING ON IREV.
“For those who are able to vote, please send out timed, dated, pictorial and video evidence of voting and results to our collation center at WhatsApp 07011514996, and follow the non- partisan live stream on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgQEShj5Pgy4eT85bBeKyLw,” the statement signed by the group’s founder, Dr. Idu Nwapa Nwadiaro, read in part.
“Are you better today than you were eight years ago? Of your N20,000 a month eight years ago, that has upgraded to N80,000 a month today, which would you choose? It is alarming how bad things are, and the speed at which things are going from bad to mbadamba according to Zebrudiah is almost unsurvivable.
“Today, our national coordinator bought 10L of fuel for N3,500.00, and my niece who just japa’d to my house 3 months ago, who overheard this and understands what that means, started screaming. So, I did not need translation. He continues, “My bigger pain was that I had to use N400 to buy my N3,500 cash in my account, to pay for fuel for my generator, and that was a bargain! With serious Abeg!” Wow!” she added via the statement.
Dr. Chete Eze-Nliam, the organization’s Director, also asked Nigerians to be conscious of the current situation of things where everyone wants to leave the country for greener pastures.
He said: “HOW DID WE GET HERE? FOR A COUNTRY WHOSE Japites within two to seven years are at the top 2% of whatever field they choose to be in, in any other country, developed or developing. Even in Angola, Nigerians are succeeding. Na who do us this mumu wey we no wan comot from?!
“On February 25, I was so proud to see a record-breaking number of Nigerians come out to choose their leader. Cut to scenes on videos stranger than fiction, where unmasked robbers, who were blatantly flouting electoral law and committing criminal offenses punishable by N500,000.00 fine or six months jail time, had their thuggery rewarded with an unjust presidential declaration!!!
“How is it then, that in one of the most diverse country of nations in the world, after the results were announced, the country went into mourning. Even as a little girl, people rejoiced for military take overs. Where were the voters who won this election?”
While corroborating what the Director said, Dr. Nwadiaro queried further: “DID GHOSTS VOTE? It seems that while we were working to stop vote buying and to follow the electoral laws set out by INEC, INEC was being compromised internally and circumventing their own laws!
“How do you explain the senate and house of representative modules uploading, but the presidential failing to upload, conveniently with enough time to allow all the manipulated manual results we are seeing on iRev, before magically being fixed, with no attempt to even conceal the rigging!
“This amazing election process that we all bought into, and were assured over and over would be followed, has been bastardized, and consequently has stolen the mandate of Nigerians, tantamount to enslaving us to an Emperor Select, not a President-Elect.
This mandate MUST be given back to the people who are resolute and NOT going to quit till the people’s will carries.
“So, we ask again, ‘Are you better off today than three months ago?’ If you shy away from your civic duty, can you make a wild guess where you would be in another three, six, twelve months?
“No matter what whomever is telling you, on March 18, come out and vote. No PVC? Come out to protect the vote. Na all of us go folo suffa or enjoy together. Only the Holy Spirit is omnipresent. One million thugs CANNOT intimidate twenty-five plus million reported voters and one hundred million civic minded citizens.
“As you come out, bring two or three who did not vote last time with you. If you are being threatened, go with your crew of ten or twenty. Take your mat, pillow, and your overnight needs.
“DO NOT LEAVE AND DO NOT ALLOW THAT FORM EC8 RESULT SHEET TO LEAVE THE POLLING UNIT TILL THE RESULTS ARE UPLOADED AND CONFIRMED ON IREV. Send out timed, dated, pictorial and video evidence of voting and results. THIS IS YOUR POWER.
“LET THE PERSON CHOSEN BY THE PEOPLE WIN, NO MATTER THE PARTY THEY BELONG TO!! LET THE PEOPLE HAVE A SAY IN WHO THEIR LEADERS ARE, A VOICE IN WHOM THEY CHOOSE TO ALLOW TO GUIDE THEIR DESTINY, THAT OF THEIR CHILDREN AND THOSE YET TO BE BORN.
“In the words of our beloved Madiba, Nelson Mandela of blessed memory, after one of the worst massacres of indigenes against indigenes in South Africa: ‘WE CANNOT WIN A WAR, BUT WE CAN WIN AN ELECTION’.
“MY PEOPLE, REMAIN PEACEFUL, STAY HOME, AND ON ELECTION DAY, VOTE.”
