Nigerian Diaspora Seeks Credible, Peaceful Elections

The Nigerians In Diaspora Organisation says it is looking forward to a credible and peaceful conduct of the rescheduled presidential elections in Nigeria.

Some members of the organisation, led by the Chairman, NIDO Americas Board of Trustees, Obed Monago, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.

They called on all stakeholders, especially the political actors, to put the nation’s interest above their personal ambitions and work towards strengthening the nation’s democracy.

Monago said about 45 NIDO members from various locations around the world were currently in the country as accredited international observers and voters in the elections.

He decried the blame game that followed the postponement of the elections, saying that focus should be on how to address the challenges that led to it before the new dates.

The nation is gradually recovering from the postponement announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission about five hours to the opening of polling stations on Saturday.

The announcement drew sharp criticisms from Nigerians with the ruling All Progressives Congress and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party trading blame.
Monago said: “I was at the stakeholders’ conference convened by INEC on Saturday, and it was all about blame game.

“Seventy-five per cent of presentations there were about blaming the commission, saying it should have done this and that, but all that is in the past.
“Why not focus on how we can use the one-week period to come up with contributions and suggestions on how to do it better?”

Prof. Hauwa Ibrahim, the Assistant Secretary of NIDO, urged Nigerians to have confidence in INEC and come out on voting day to exercise their franchise.
Ibrahim, a visiting lecturer at Harvard University, United States, called on Nigerians to contribute their quota towards making the country greater.

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