A pro-democracy group, Mandate Protection Vanguard (MPV), has expressed disappointment in the British Prime Minister Theresa May, for sending a congratulatory message to President Muhammadu Buhari following the just concluded presidential election in Nigeria.
The group demanded an apology from Ms May, describing her action as “an endorsement of illegality.”
MPV in a statement signed Thursday in Abuja by its national President,Celestine Eromonsele, asked Theresa May whether such ‘sham’ called election is also acceptable in her country.
Eromonsele told the Prime Minister to independently seek for information from unbiased observers on what transpired on Saturday.
” What started as a peaceful election ended up being one of the most horrible daylight rape of our democracy. Ballot boxes were snatched and some destroyed by fire. Card readers were stolen and many tampered with to accept without verification and in many places card readers were not used at all.
“Pre-thumbprinted ballot papers were stuffed into the ballot box. Breach of the INEC security measure was evident with the use of 2015 stamps. Multiple voting by illegally acquired PVCs was used by APC members. There were impersonations by people voting more than 20 times with different cards.
“We ask May whether standard used to conduct last Saturday’s presidential election in Nigeria where so many people died, ballot boxes snatched, military personnel deployed to the strongholds of the major opposition party, PDP to disenfranchise voters are what she termed free, fair and credible?
The group asked the Prime Minister to tell the world whether “it is because Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is patronising UK hospitals, reason she was endorsing illegality? ‘’
While calling on the EU and the government of America not to congratulate President Buhari so called re-election, MPV urged other international community to reject the ‘sham’ in the name of fairness and best democratic practice.
“We hereby call on United States and the European Union not to tow the path of Theresa May. We urge EU to reject the election in the name of fairness.
“America is known for justice, European Union should stand firm against the sham and rape of democracy going on in Nigeria.”
