Speech by High Chief Franklin Ekechukwu
April 3, 2023
Constitutional Democracy, to my understanding, is a process where the voiceless, the poorest of the poor and the weakest of the weak use the only tools they possess to make their voices heard. It is the only system that allows the downtrodden voice to be heard loudly using the principle of one man one vote, to be of equal yoke with the most powerful and richest in the world, by using a singular vote they can change the direction of their country from good to bad or Bad to good, provided it is their choice under the constitution of the land.
When that singular fundamental right within the constitution, which is the right to choose, is denied or taken away from them, the powerful are simply telling them that they have no right to exist. That they are slaves to the most powerful in the country.
In Nigeria, this situation where the voiceless and the weakest in society are denied their fundamental right to pick their leader has been the norm, over and over the years, the people cried out, as the most powerful continued to strangle the system.
After the 2019 election in which the most powerful overwhelmingly subdued the citizens, by forcibly denying the people their choice, the masses embarked on making sure that the system provides a protection of their right, this singular action of the masses born the 2022 electoral law signed into law by this present administration. By this singular act, the hope of the masses was renewed.
The Umpire institution called Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that conducts elections went to work to provide the guidelines according to the provisions of the electoral law, within the ambit of the Nigerian constitution.
These guidelines provided by INEC were wonderfully written and was widely accepted by the political parties, welcomed by the Nigeria masses, and even got high praises from international communities, international community went as far contributing money to making sure the guidelines were followed, for a minute, Nigerian people faith was restored.
Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the press, I am standing before you all, with great disappointment in my heart to declare the conduct of February 25th. 2023presidential election in Nigeria, an embarrassment and a slap to all Nigerians, and lovers of democracy, a sham, a travesty to the system, a rape of democracy and outright disregard and violation of the law.
Independent National Electoral commission arrogantly, deliberately, intentionally, and brazenly disregard their own electoral guidelines, violate the Electoral law of 2022, and totally abandon the constitution of Nigeria.
The supposedly Unbiased Umpire became very compromised and biased to Nigerian people. They threw caution to the wind even when asked not to do so.
The INEC chairman in the process of satisfying the most powerful violated the constitution by not meeting one of the provisions of the law that requires 25% of the federal Capital electorate, when he rushed to announce and declare Bola Ahmed TINUBU as winner at 4:00 am early morning, when the masses were sleeping.
Once again, denying the Nigeria people, the poorest of the poor, the weakest of the weak and the downtrodden their fundamentally right of free and fair election. The constitution once again prostituted to deny Nigerians their simple human right.
The report from the international community Observers around the world strongly suggested a midnight robbery perpetrated by the same people appointed to defend and protect the masses, by not following the constitution, the electoral law, and their guidelines, the Electoral Commission violated the law and need to be held accountable, it will be difficult to ask the beneficiaries of the stolen mandate which is the present government to hold the commission responsible, thus we called upon the international community to do that.
We call upon The United States of American, and all defenders of democracy to hold the Nigerian Umpire, the electoral commission responsible. We asked that the election results be totally rejected, and the beneficiaries of the fraud election perpetrated to the people of Nigeria be prosecuted by the international communities.
We called on United States and United Nations to make these declarations.
1. Support Nigerian People over compromised Government Structures
2. Support all actions of free and fair democratic process and rule of law in
Nigerian.
3. Reject all forms of election malpractices and violence in Nigeria.4. Reject all results, actions and events emanating from an election marred by
malpractice and violence.
5. Impose US visa ban on all those responsible of the February 25th. 2023
Presidential election in Nigeria.
This declaration is line with President Biden’s promise of Multilateralism in US foreign policy, and the United Nation General Assembly’s A/RES/73/127 request for necessary measure and arrangements for United nations to commemorate and promote Multilateralism, and Diplomacy for Peace. A Doctrine of what affects one nation affects the other.
This doctrine has been effected in Ukraine, we ask that United States do the same in Nigeria by holding the present government responsible.
We unequivocally state that INEC personnels were compromised by the ruling party, and present sitting government, that there were evidence of violence, people were attacked with machete, shot at with guns, killed, maimed, ballot papers were snatched while security personnels whose main responsibility is to protect and preserve life watches, in some occasion help the thugs to accomplish their task. These actions are in violation of the above declaration.
In pursuit of Justice, we call upon the Nigerian Judiciary to simply do the right thing.
1. Correct the injustice perpetrated by the commission.
2. To have in mind that the world is watching, and the faith of ordinary man, woman, and youths is now in their hands. Yes! The faith of Nigeria and Nigerians hangs in the balance with them,
3. Justice must be blind; the Judiciary must deliver justice by upholding the law regardless of whose Ox is gored.
4. The mandate of the people must be judiciously returned to the people regardless of who the winner is.
5. Order for immediate arrest of all involved in violating, most importantly the constitution, and the electoral law of 2022.
I thank you for listening and May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria, May God bless the United of America.
Submitted by High Chief Franklin Ekechukwu.
