Proponents of “Third Force” under the aegis of Nigeria Intervention Movement, yesterday, expressed concerns over the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare governorship elections in some states as inconclusive.
It described the development as “brazen corruption of our electoral system.”
The movement’s position was contained in a statement made available to journalists by its Director, Media and Publicity Bureau, Mr Debo Adeniyi.
Adeniyi said NIM had decided to resist the development with everything at its members’ disposal.
He said the electoral body’s strategy was meant to put machinery in place for eventual rigging of the elections as allegedly seen in the case of Osun State governorship election in 2018.
He said, “The political Third Force in Nigeria under the umbrella of Nigeria Intervention Movement wishes to warn the Independent National Electoral Commission to desist from the antics of declaring elections almost won inconclusive to enable its ‘favoured’ political parties to put machinery in place for eventual rigging of the elections as cleverly invented during the Osun State governorship elections last year
“We wish to alert the entire country that we of the Third Force are already exhausted by this disingenuous antics of INEC officials and have decided to resist this with everything at our disposal as it is brazen corruption of our electoral system by INEC in collusion with parties in power.
“We note that this style of mandate manipulation is again about to happen in the governorship elections in some states like Kano, which shall be resisted with a nationwide mass action in Nigeria to express our principled grievances against the obvious lapses in the 2019 elections.”
Adeniyi added that the movement will on April 3 announce a day of national mass action against all lapses observed in the 2019 elections.
He asked all allied movements, parties and stakeholders to be on the alert.
Meanwhile, the movement has congratulated Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State and Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State on their winning the governorship elections in their states.
It recalled that NIM went into alliance with both Abiodun and Makinde ahead of the governorship elections.
The statement added, “From the modest records and statistics of NIM’s national situation room, the Third Force’s support for Dapo Abiodun in Ogun accounted for more than 95,000 votes of the over 241, 000 votes received by him in Ogun.
“The alliance also amounted to over 237, 000 of the over 515,000 scored by Seyi Makinde in Oyo State.
“This is especially given the fact that NIM leader in Oyo State, Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), who doubles as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, as well as flagbearers of other allied political parties stepped down for Makinde before the elections.
“Also, 14 allied political parties, including NIM’s adopted party, People’s Trust of Lanre Banjo in Ogun, stepped down to back Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State.