We Supported Peter Obi for Justice, Equity, Says Middle Belt Forum

•Calls for INEC chairman’s resignation

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) yesterday said it supported, campaigned and voted for the candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi to ensure justice, fairness and equity in the nation’s polity.

The National President of MBF, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, gave the clarification in a statement issued in Abuja.

He said the clarification became necessary to place on record for posterity, the basis for the decisions and actions of men and women of conscience in the region.

He explained, “The basis of the support of the peoples of the Middle Belt for His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, in the last presidential election was in line with our sense of justice, equity and fair play.

“The shared understanding by the political elite in Nigeria that presidential power oscillates between Southern and Northern Nigeria had ensured that the south-west and the south-south geopolitical zones had been in the saddle at the presidential level at different times since the return of civil rule in May 1999, leaving out only the south-east.

“On the basis of fairness and inclusivity, it was imperative for the south-east to produce the next president of Nigeria from southern Nigeria.

“This conviction was why the Middle Belt was the first to hold a rally in support of Mr. Obi in Jos, Plateau State, in 2022.

“The Middle Belt was therefore in the trenches, shoulder to shoulder, with all lovers of justice, equity on the 25th February, 2023.

“Middle Belters, irrespective of their ethnic, religious and political persuasions, spoke with one loud voice in support of the Labour Party’s presidential candidate.

“This we did, despite the open brigandage under the watch of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in cahoots with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Plateau State, Nasarawa State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were impregnable fortresses against these anti-democratic forces, evil merchants of divisiveness who did all in their powers to undermine the will of the people.

“Benue and Kogi States are emblematic of the concentrated venom of the forces of retrogression that was unleashed, killing, maiming and rigging to achieve the objective of portraying the Middle Belt as embracers of injustice, iniquity, inequity, wickedness and divisiveness.

“The electoral robbery in Koton-Karfe LGA, in Kogi State, attests to the level these unconstitutional forces were willing to go to achieve their nefarious goal.”

He added: “Despite their despotic machinations, the results of the February 25th polls from the Middle Belt enclaves in the 14 states and the FCT demonstrate the commitment of our Region to stand as a bulwark against anti-democratic and feudal forces determined to foist a culture of impunity, divisiveness and inequity on our nation.”

The MBF President commended all Nigerians, especially those from the Middle Belt, for coming out en masse to exercise their civic duties penultimate Saturday.

He said, “Unfortunately, to the eternal shame of INEC, it turned out that the Commission was not prepared to conduct free and credible elections.

“Despite the commitment of Nigerians, particularly youths, to register and vote for a president of their choice, the INEC, in collaboration with anti-democratic forces, brazenly subverted the will of the people. This subversion was orchestrated by the electoral Commission in 2022.

“We express great disappointment in the collation officers that took charge of 8,816 Wards, 774 LGAs and the 37 states who, instead of strengthening the institution, only made a mockery of themselves.

“We commend the courageous men and women who stood for justice, particularly within the Middle Belt enclaves of our 14 states and the FCT, in order to ensure the will of our people prevailed.

“We call on all Nigerians, particularly our people in the Middle Belt region, to be law-abiding and remain calm as the Presidential candidates of the Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party have elected to challenge the results of the elections at the Tribunal. It is our hope that the Courts will rise in defence of democracy and do what is right.

“We call on all Nigerians, particularly the peoples of the Middle Belt region, to once again come out en masse to vote in candidates who are pro-Middle Belt governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections this Saturday 11th March 2023.

“We call on the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to toe the honourable path by resigning his position before the next election.

“His frittering away of tens of billions of Naira on a technology that he did not intend to use makes him unfit to continue to maintain his position.

“In the event Professor Yakubu failed to tender his resignation after this press release, President Muhammadu Buhari should summarily sack him.

“We pray that inaction by Mr. President and the Presidency will not be seen as complicity in the subversion of the will of Nigerians in the electoral heist of 25th February, 2023, a preposition we will prefer not to be correct.”