The Trump administration has been drawn into the troubled Nigerian election debacle. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria postponed the election 5 hours before voting and accusations of American interference are now surfacing.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar has been accused of working with the Trump administration in efforts to frustrate the Nigerian polls. It is alleged that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar connived with the Trump administration and bribed a number of commissioners thus, necessitating the polls shift without consultation done by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Saturday night.
According to the London based security analyst and director of CUPS, Dr. Idris Ahmed, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was said to have paid $1 million each to the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the country to compromise the Card Readers in his favour so as for him to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari in accordance to the Dubai strategy
meeting resolution of his party, PDP.
Sources in Nigeria report that Atiku spent over N47 billion security presidential ticket of PDP at the PortHarcourt, Rivers State presidential primaries of the party, while he also to have paid $1.1 million to Brian Ballard, an American lobbyist to warm him into the heart of US President Donald Trump to support him unseat President Buhari.
President Trump has recently praised Alhaji Atiku Abubakar following his White House voluntary invitation of him last year.
Ballard is also alleged to have, as part of his contract with Atiku, smuggled the PDP’s presidential candidate in the upcoming election into America.
Ballard smuggled Atiku into America guised as an ‘aide’ to national leader of his party and senate president of Nigeria, Bukola Sarahi.
Atiku had been listed among aides of Saraki, according US Africa Affairs
Department, under diplomatic cover so as to avoid being arrested for his
corruption indictment in the Western country.
Meanwhile, an International Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO), Pan-African Women Projects, based in South Africa, which was accredited to monitor and observe the 2019 general election in Nigeria has said it was disappointed with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the postponement of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Head of the team in Ebonyi State, Mrs. Lebogang Ugorji said it was disturbing that the electoral body could postpone the election barely five hours to the commencement of the election after it had assured the nation of its readiness for the conduct of the elections.
Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the team leader noted that the postponement would reflect negatively on the election as some voters who had traveled earlier for that purpose may not be able to spend a period of one week in their villages, considering the fact that they have to report for their jobs and businesses.
She envisaged that there may be voter apathy and poor turnout arising from the postponement, as the confidence reposed on the electoral body has reduced.
The group noted that there were pocket of pre-election violence in some areas of Ebonyi State where people were attacked and properties destroyed.
“Some people will be disfranchised. This singular action has affected the cost implication of all parties involved in the election and has gone a long way to affect the purse of civil society groups considering the fact that the electoral body (INEC) has no financial leverage for the NGOs,” Ugorji said.
While appealing to electorate to be peaceful and steadfast, she advised INEC to rise up to their responsibility by ensuring that all hitches are put out of place to ensure a smooth and credible election on February 23.
