Pro-democracy Group Protests Against Opposition’s Plot to Undermine Nigerian Democracy

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Image — A woman casts her ballot as she votes in the presidential and parliamentary elections on February 23, 2019, at a polling station in Port Harcourt, southern Nigeria. (Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/ AFP via Getty Images)
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In other news, a pro-democracy group known as The Natives staged a peaceful protest in Abuja, asserting their determination to resist clandestine plots by opposition political parties to undermine democratic rule in the country. Led by Smart Edwards, the protesters marched to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging the authorities in the United States, Britain, and other nations not to fall for the opposition’s ploy to incite insurrection in Nigeria. The group reiterated its support for the declaration of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election held recently and warned politicians to desist from inciting Nigerians against the citizens and democratic processes. Edwards cautioned Yusuf Datti, the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), to refrain from making inflammatory statements.

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“We want to particularly warn the LP vice president candidate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, to apply caution because Nigeria is a country and not Baze University.

“Some people have been going round the country inciting others, calling for a taboo, they are calling for ING that will never happen, not in Nigeria, not in any African country that we support.

“America is currently handling insurrection against her own state, so, we are certain that America, Britain and other nations will not promote insurrection in our nation.”

The Commission’s Director of Security, Lebari Sam Nduh, received a letter addressed to the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and responded by assuring that INEC would carry out its constitutional duties impartially and without prejudice.

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Nduh said: “We want to thank you for being very responsible in your protest. We want to thank you for bearing in mind that we have no other country to call our own than Nigeria. We want to thank you for the civil manner you have conducted yourself. We want to assure you, on behalf of the management of INEC, that your message will be delivered to the Chairman. It is not going to pass through any other source than the Director of Security himself who will personally take it and deliver it to the Chairman, who is my direct boss.

“I assure you that INEC will continue to do its optimum best in all that the law require it to do. Nigeria will be greater,” he said.