2023 polls: Group cautions youth against post-election violence

The National Mass Movement for Better Orientation (NAMMBO), a frontline Tinubu support group, has cautioned youths against indulging in post-election violence in the interest of peace and national development.

The National Coordinator of NAMMBO, Dr Hauwa Bagu, made the call at a news conference to declare vote of confidence on the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday in Abuja.

She said that the outcome of the election was a clear evidence that democracy was getting stronger in the country.

Bagu commended INEC boss for conducting transparent elections in line with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

She also urged the aggrieved political parties who were not satisfied with the outcome of recently concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections to seek court redress and avoid inflammatory comments capable of disrupting peacefully coexistence in the country.

Bagu reminded political parties of a peace accord they signed recently under the National Peace Committee for the peaceful 2023 general elections.

She urged the youths not to allow themselves to be used to foment trouble by those who were bent on truncating the nation’s democracy.

Bagu said: “In every competition, somebody must win and that is why we are here today to talk to Nigerians for those that will want to cause problem they should have a rethink.

“We don’t want any violence arising from the outcome of the just concluded elections.

”In the history of elections in Nigeria I don’t think there is any election that can be adjudged free, fair, credible and transparent election like the one we had on Feb. 25, because the process was open.

”We should say no to anybody that want to cause crisis in Nigeria at this point in time because what we need is peace and that is why we voted for Tinubu who is a nationalist and has the capacity to unite the country more.”

Bagu expressed optimism that the emergence of Tinubu as President-elect of Nigeria would usher in progress and development in the country.

On his part, the Director of Administration of the group, Mohammed Shehu, described the just concluded elections as a watershed in the political history of Nigeria.

He commended INEC for the good work from the voter registration exercise which culminated into the 2023 general elections.

Shehu condemned calls for the cancellation of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, adding that nobody has the right to cancel an election that held except the court.

He said: “Any political party that has any grievances as regards the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections should approach the election tribunals for redress.

“If they have water tight evidence the courts are empowered by the law to administer justice without fear or favour.”

Also, the Deputy National Coordinator of NAMMBO, Ibrahim Umar, declared total support of the group on INEC for enhancing the credibility of the electoral process in the country.

Umar said: “We believe that all the processes that INEC took in conducting the Feb. 25 elections were transparent and clear right from the polling units to the INEC collation centres.

“We, therefore, call on all political parties that participated in the elections, especially the opposition to believe in the process and go to courts where necessary.

“However, for us in the All Progressives Congress (APC) we have not challenged areas where we lost the election.

“For instance, President Muhammadu Buhari lost his state to the opposition party, the National Chairman of APC had also lost his state, Nasarawa to the opposition.

“These are signs of transparency in the process. You can recall that in some states in the East were results were allegedly branded.”

According to Umar, nobody challenged the numbers that came in there because, “if we should go by that, then definitely the election will be questioned.”

He emphasised the need for all Nigerians to believe in the sanctity of Nigeria as one indivisible country.