Nigerians in Diaspora fault presidential poll, urge judiciary to be just, fair

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

A group, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization, NIDO, has harped on the need for the nation’s judiciary to be fair, just and impartial in its handling of the cases filed by the opposition parties in respect of the February 25 presidential election.

The organization has similarly called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to upload the results of the election and others on its portal as earlier promised to and reflect the voting of Nigerians.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, are currently challenging the outcome of the presidential election before election petition tribunal at the court of appeal.

They are disputing the declaration of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the president-elect by INEC.

The Chairman of NIDO, Dr Kinsman Chikelu made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday in company of some members of the organization.

Noting that the presidential election was neither free nor fair, the organisation declared that it has trust in the country’s judicial system to do the right thing.

According to Dr Chikelu, “Today, we are reinforcing our stand of NIDO worldwide that this election is not free and fair.

“Secondly we are using this opportunity to call on INEC to upload the results and reflect the voting of Nigerians.

“As the matter is already in court, we have said it clearly that as civilized citizens of Nigeria, Iiving in the diaspora, we have trust in our judicial system and we are using this opportunity to extend our demand, for the second time to the judiciary, that they should not disappoint the entire Nigerians and say the law as it is.

“The judiciary should do the needful and redeem the image of whatsoever transpired that day by bringing the common man to his rights”, he said.

Going down the memory lane, the Chairman of the organization said, “We have been partners with INEC for many years back as NIDO (Nigeria diaspora organisation) and as it stands this year also on the electoral process, we were also invited to come and observe in the status of foreign observers..

“Some of us arrived a week before, some two days. before, some went to the South, East, North and so forth. So, we were all at the field on the day of this election.

“We, as NIDO, in line with the communiqué issued few days after the election on the stand of NIDO worldwide, we are here to reinforce our stand saying categorically that the presidential election that was witnessed few days ago, organised by INEC, was not free and fair, to the standard that we expected.

“On invitation, we had several briefings by INEC. I want to stand to say that most us left our different jobs, activities and families in the diaspora to respect this noble cause in Nigeria to observe this election.

“The various briefings we received from INEC were on how organized they are and how they are ready. But on the day of the election, all of us here witnessed the drama that was contrary to what the briefings were before the day of the election, especially on the issue of uploading the result of the presidential poll.

“The transmission of the results to the server from the polling units was not done. We were all worried and we came back to Abuja the next day as the collation was going on to say that “, he said.