Obasanjo Urges Buhari To Cancel Compromised Election, Says Tensions Are Building Up

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to cancel all elections that do not pass credibility and transparency test.

The former President said this in a letter to Buhari amid calls for the cancellation of the 2023 presidential election by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the collation of the election results was ongoing at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, the agents of the two parties walked away after they failed to prevail on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the collation and announcement process.

Wading in on the issues, Obasanjo in his letter on Monday, February 27, 2023, alleged that INEC officials tampered with BVAS machines and manipulated election results.

The ex-president advised the INEC boss to save Nigeria from “the looming danger and disaster”, saying election results that were not uploaded on INEC server would not be accepted.

The letter reads: “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.”