The All Progressives Congress in the United States (APC-USA) has urged President Joe Biden to ignore a petition written by some Nigerians trying to discredit the 2023 presidential election.
Chairman of the APC in the US, Professor Tai Balofin appealed in a letter dated April 3 and addressed to Biden.
The letter was written amid demonstrations in US capital, Washington DC, by groups for and against the emergence of President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Recall that supporters of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi led by one Franklin Ekechukwu, under the aegis Nigerian American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, Inc., on Monday held a demonstration at Lafayette Park, opposite the White House.
The APC-USA spearheaded a counter-demonstration in support of the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
In the letter, Balofin described the Nigerian presidential election as “free and fair”.
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He said that the second runner-up, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, has been engaging in actions and utterances that are not only seditious but also pose a threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria.
Balofin urged the American president to condemn such actions and affirm his country’s firm support of the democratic process in Nigeria.
“We are writing to you regarding a recent petition that has been submitted, calling for the discrediting of the Nigerian presidential election that was deemed free and fair by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). As the leader of a country that upholds democratic values,
“We implore you to disregard the petition,” Balofin said.
The APC-USA chairman highlighted Nigeria’s struggle to return to civilian rule in 1999, especially after the annulment of the 1993 election, and the inter-ethnic tensions that exist in Africa’s most populous nation.
He described Nigeria as a wealthy country with numerous resources that has “suffered from administrative lacuna tactically orchestrated by unfriendly friends’ nations, which has played a role in the truncation of democracy and plunged the nation into military rulership with coups and counter-coups that ultimately resulted in a long-haul civil war”.
Balofin said, “While Nigerians were yearning for a better day and patiently waiting to fully civilianise the process by participating and casting their vote in a free and fair election of 1993, the nation was disappointed with the annulment of the election.
“This was after that a rhetoric of settlement between generals in the military till the presidential election winner, in the person of Chief MKO Abiola, became castigated and paid the maximum price for Nigerians. From 1993 to 1999, it was a dagger-drawn period for Nigerians battling for the heart and soul of democracy.”
Balofin said that the coming together of activists against the military intensified the democracy Nigeria has attained since 1999.
“The great men and women who laid down their lives and resources to make this a reality see Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an unrepentant front-runner via the NADECO days who fought to make this democracy a reality.”
The APC-USA chairman praised Tinubu for his achievements as governor of Lagos between 1999 and 2007, adding that the President-elect became a “reference point and a grandmaster of strategic transformation that Nation Leaders always run to for ideas and turnarounds, a Master of Political draft and cheese with gaming mastery of political successes…”
Balofin added, “It is imperative to respect the democratic process and the decisions made by the electoral body. It is not the place of any individual or group to call for the truncation of democracy or the establishment of an interim government. Such actions are not only unconstitutional but also undermine the peace and stability of Nigeria.
“Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates of the Labour Party, respectively, have been making incendiary comments and claims about the election results.
“They have been calling for actions that go against the laid-down processes for addressing disputes and grievances, which is a subversion of the Constitution.
“Their actions and utterances are not only seditious but also pose a threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria.
“As such, we urge you to condemn such actions and make it clear that the British government stands firmly in support of the democratic process in Nigeria.
“We were in Nigeria to observe the election. Our findings show that the election was free and fair; Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu won the election with the majority vote and was returned elected.”