The National Association of Diaspora Alliance (NADA) in the United States of America (USA) has hailed Nigerians for coming out stronger after its internal wrangling over the recently concluded presidential election in the country, saying the nation has a strong internal problem-solving mechanism.
This was contained in a letter by the leaders of NADA, addressed to the President of USA, Joe Biden, and signed by Dr Oluseyi Senu-Oke and Dr Dotun Aliu, Chairman and President respectively, said there is nothing to worry about Nigeria’s unity, saying the nation will always come out stronger despite the escalating grievances.
The group which likened OBIdients – supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi – to that of former U.S President, Donald Trump, stated that it is imperative to also clear the air on some few individuals who have been spreading falsehood about Nigeria, saying this is extremely dishonorable, but it is manageable.
The letter stated that: “Nigeria is currently in a situation similar to the election between you and Donald Trump. As you may recall, there was a national election in the United States, the results of which were announced, and you were declared the legitimate winner. However, Trump rejected the verdict, claiming that there were irregularities, rigging, and malpractice in the election with no evidence to back up his claims.
“He openly declared that he had won the election and that it had been stolen from him. His ardent supporters began acting out his script, claiming that the election had been rigged.
“He urged his followers to reclaim the mandate that had been taken from them. His supporters flocked to Capitol Hill, confident that they would reclaim the stolen mandate without having to wait for the court’s decision.
“Trump filed more than 30 frivolous and unfounded court cases in an attempt to overturn the election, but he ultimately lost all of them.
“The same situation is currently unfolding in Nigeria. On February 25, 2023, the electoral body held a presidential election, and a clear winner was declared after substantially meeting the requirements under Nigerian electoral law.
“Not long after the election, the second-place finisher — and disregarding the firstplace finisher — claimed he had won and that the results were rigged. He informed his supporters that the people’s mandate had been stolen and pleaded with them to reclaim it. This should sound familiar, Mr. President.
“They established the “Obidents Movement,” which actively and precisely followed a script dubbed “Trump method” in line with the strategy employed by the Donald Trump’s most ardent supporters. One of these is using all available means to undermine and cast doubt on the election and the president-elect on a national and international scale.
“Their presidential candidate filed a court petition to challenge the election process rather than the outcome. If the mandate was truly stolen, why not challenge the outcome and present evidence of votes stolen from the party?
“However, prior to any court proceedings, they began a protest on the streets and social media, proclaiming victory and demanding the return of their stolen mandate without a single shred of evidence to back up this heinous claim.
“Those who disagree with them are frequently threatened and verbally abused. There is ongoing intimidation and threat directed at the nation’s supreme court justices in an attempt to sway them to see things their way.
“This should also sound familiar Mr. President. Mr. Datti Baba-Ahmed, the presidential running mate of the opposition party, publicly threatened the current sitting president and the chief judge, claiming that if the president-elect is sworn in, there will be no Nigeria. A clearly treasonous point of view that flagrantly violates the constitution of Nigeria. All of this should sound familiar to you, Mr. President.
“No election, regardless of where it is held, is perfect. There are bound to be flaws within human limitations, but this should not translate into total condemnation of the election results, especially if such flaws are insignificant enough to overturn the election’s outcome.
The letter read further, “According to BBC News, during the recent US midterm elections, several false and unsubstantiated rumors circulated online, implying that votes in certain states were rigged. Specifically, the Arizona voting machine problems, which slowed the voting and counting processes. This glitch, however, prompted immediate propaganda of
false claims that the votes were once again rigged, despite the lack of evidence to support this claim.
“The same scenario is playing out in Nigeria, where there were glitches in the transmission of voting results by voting machines. The glitches fueled false claims that the election was rigged, despite the lack of evidence to back up this claim
“They continue to seek proof of vote-rigging conspiracy theories and intentionally hold the false and unshakeable belief, despite the lack of evidence, that ballot machines were compromised due to a failure to transmit results to the internet.
“More horrifying was the call by some unscrupulous elements for military intervention to establish an interim government, which would not only sever Nigeria’s current democratic system, but would also plunge the country into dictatorship, anarchy, and chaos, and, by extension, the instability of the African continent.
“As if that wasn’t enough, an international propaganda campaign to delegitimize the election was launched. Many open letters were written, many of which were shrouded in lies and maligned the country.
“A recent example is an open letter sent to you by one Chimamanda Adichie, which was full of deception, manipulation, and mischief. An action motivated by ethnic inclinations”
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