The Nigerian opposition Coalition has described as pyrrhic victory and robbery of a nation, the announcement of President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the 2019 Presidential election.
In a statement on Thursday, by its first National Spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) stated that “Evidence abounds nationwide and Nigerians are no longer in doubt that the 2019 general elections is a complete departure from the electoral gains made in 2015 and that the ruling APC massively stole votes and suppressed votes of the opposition to such an extent that this election is the worst since Nigeria’s return to democracy 1999.
“This electoral robbery by the Presidency can only be compared to the electoral heists of 1963 and 1983.
“Buhari has insulted us all and our sensibilities. He has dared us all. He raped our electoral decency. In a bid to hang on to power with the crooks under him, he murdered democracy. Only a person who lacks understanding will congratulate a man who set out to burn down our electoral system. We ask, how do you accept this madness? Accepting this without as much as stiff resistance and exposing the fraud that was committed by President Buhari and the APC in this election is the recipe for future stealing of votes and massive voter apathy since voters will not have confidence in the system and this vicious cycle will continue perpetually. There must be an end to vote stealing.
“President Buhari refused to sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law. His supporters aided by security forces silence burnt card readers, stole electoral materials and sabotaged distribution. His soldiers acting on his instruction against the judgment of court chased PDP agents out of collation Centres, Returning Officers were held at gun point with security forces watching like in Imo and made to announce fake figures, in Akwa Ibom votes were destroyed and cancelled to reduce figures, in Lagos he supported ethnic violence, votes for the first time was burnt because of President Buhari, hundreds of thousands of citizens in Sabon Gari in Kano never voted because President Buhari ensured they never did because he was afraid he did not have their votes. He planned this onslaught on the people because he already knew he failed to perform and that the people had rejected him.
“Nobody was shot dead for ballot snatching rather innocent Nigerian voters and citizens opposing this robbery were killed in Kogi, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta State etc by security forces. The only recorded incidence of apprehension of ballot box snatchers were a result of the implementation of Opposition Code 20 by citizens in Lagos.
“His audacity that he will rob us and remain president is most insulting. He can get an announcement but he cannot get our support. He can rule with the guns and continue to kill and maim but we must stand firm from now till the end. President Buhari is not the man we voted. Our President is dancing and celebrating on the rivers of blood of slain citizens.
“It is now obvious to Nigerians why President Buhari destroyed the Supreme Court and violently and undemocratically removed the Chief Justice of Nigeria even against the clear provisions of the Constitution. He knew he would rob the people and had to first make sure that justice would be denied the people from the illegitimate head of the Supreme Court. He knew he would rob the people and he retained the Chief of Army Staff for years after he was due for retirement and Nigerians all saw how the military interfered in the election and rigged for President Buhari.
In view of the above ,the opposition rejects the cooked and panel beaten figures and will not recognize General Muhammadu Buhari as carrier of legitimate mandate beyond 29th May, 2019. We will do everything within civil and legal means to stop his enjoyment of a mandate soaked in the blood of his people. We hereby declare the president as the carrier of stolen mandate and urge all Nigerians to continue to resist within civil means this robbery and continue to support the opposition to retrieve this mandate and bestow it to the rightful owner. We shall never give up.
“We assure all Nigerians that the CUPP shall, starting from today, continue to lead the struggle to expose him and ensure what he stole is returned by the force of law.
“We have a man who has shot his way through sitting as our President aided by a compromised military head. He debased our national honour, today the Opposition calls on you all to start spreading the message and the hashtag and hang in your homes, offices, places of business, and also use as wall papers display photos on all social media platforms, this poster which we launch today #NotTheManWeElected. It is within your civil right to decide to be on your own. Nigerians should imagine a President with a stolen mandate being sworn in by an illegal Chief Justice of Nigeria, what a shame.
“Let it be known that the fight for our nation’s liberation from a rampaging emperor has just begun, let no man give up, for those who sacrificed National interest to impose a man with no capacity to govern, you will soon realize you have driven a poisoned arrow into the heart of our nations democracy.
“When there is a proclamation of the Parliament, let us start mobilizing across party lines. The emperor has penciled his stooges to take over and run the Parliament. Ahmad Lawan as Senate President, Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker, Ovie Omo-Agege as Deputy Senate President with Abdulmimin Jibrin as Deputy Speaker.
“Cross party alliances must be formed to upstage him again. We must moderate him and his vaulting ambition within constitutional ropes, we must continue like modern democracies all over the world until we have removed the destruction he has brought to the nation.
“For the billions of Naira stolen to corrupt the electoral system, judgment will come, for the soldiers who killed our people, you will pay one day no matter how long, Nigerians are united In this struggle and once more we say; he is not the man we elected and we will continue to fight till our nation is liberated, #NotTheManWeElected.”
