Timi Frank, an ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (East Africa and Middle East), called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to the blackmail of the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
According to the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, they are presently using Governors “to prevail on him to shift the polls just like they pressurized him to make Tinubu emerge as the presidential candidate of the party.”
He said that the persons seeking postponement of the elections were to enable them to perfect their rigging strategies ahead of the elections just like they did in 2019.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission should not add to the current harrowing experience of Nigerians by shifting the polls, saying: “doing so will be resisted by Nigerians who are already fed up with the present administration and are waiting to take them out of the office with their Permanent Voter Cards.”
Frank in a statement issued in Abuja said the call became necessary following what he described as clandestine efforts by the All Progressives Congress and its 2023 presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to have the elections postponed because of imminent failure.
He accused Tinubu of having allegedly mobilized the media and civil society organizations in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory with huge sums to begin editorial campaigns and protests respectively to call for the postponement of the presidential elections using the excuse of fuel and Naira scarcity.
Frank insisted that the only legacy Buhari will leave for Nigeria is to keep to his promise to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent 2023 general elections, notwithstanding the efforts being made to make him do otherwise.
The activist reminded Buhari that already, Tinubu had openly campaigned that the APC government had failed, saying that it was only by insisting on the conduct of free, fair and credible elections that would redeem his image.
Frank said: “Buhari has promised Nigerians and the world to bequeath free, fair and credible elections as his legacy. He must not allow the APC Governors and the behest of Tinubu to sway him to do otherwise.
“You need to prove Tinubu wrong that your government has not failed by making sure the forthcoming general election is free, fair and credible.
“The international community is waiting to see if you will keep to your promise or if you deceived them with your promise to ensure holistic electoral reforms in the country.
“Nigerians are ready to go to the polls to correct the evil policies of an uncaring administration as Tinubu has confirmed in order to free themselves from hardship deliberately inflicted on them through clueless leadership.
“This is a better time to hold this election to enable Nigerians to choose whether to remain in Egypt with APC’s Pharaoh or to cross over to the promised land with the Peoples Democratic Party.”