The president of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) Ireland branch has urged opposition politicians in the country to give democracy a chance by allowing the president elect, Umaru Yar’Adua, to claim his mandate.
“We have embraced democracy and it must move forward even though it is a slow process,” Eugene Nwosu, who was reacting to Nigerian opposition parties call for the cancellation of the 21 April presidential election, told Metro Eireann. The official result released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stated that Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, and the outgoing Governor of Katsina State, won the election by 70 per cent.
The result has been strongly disputed by the leading opposition leaders, Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) flag bearer, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd),who have called for the cancellation of the election.
Although the PDP embodies everything that’s wrong with Nigeria, he said Governor Umaru Yar’Adua should be given a chance to prove us wrong. “The result is not as important as the process,” he said.
Nwosu criticised the opposition leaders who have urged the cancellation of the election: “I don’t support his call for cancellation or annulment regardless of how flawed the election was. I hold the opposition responsible for what happened. They were power hungry. They could have played the role of elder statesmen.”
He called on Nigerians at home and abroad to celebrate, regardless of how flawed the elections were.
He said: “Nigerian democracy has achieved a milestone. This is the first time in the 46 years of existence of the country that a civilian-to-civilian democratic hand-over would be achieved.”
The only way of getting things right in Nigeria, Eugene Nwosu said, is for people to begin to work together to challenge the incoming government so as to force it to perform better.
The result has been strongly disputed by the leading opposition leaders, Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC) and the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) flag bearer, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd),who have called for the cancellation of the election.
Although the PDP embodies everything that’s wrong with Nigeria, he said Governor Umaru Yar’Adua should be given a chance to prove us wrong. “The result is not as important as the process,” he said.
Nwosu criticised the opposition leaders who have urged the cancellation of the election: “I don’t support his call for cancellation or annulment regardless of how flawed the election was. I hold the opposition responsible for what happened. They were power hungry. They could have played the role of elder statesmen.”
He called on Nigerians at home and abroad to celebrate, regardless of how flawed the elections were.
He said: “Nigerian democracy has achieved a milestone. This is the first time in the 46 years of existence of the country that a civilian-to-civilian democratic hand-over would be achieved.”
The only way of getting things right in Nigeria, Eugene Nwosu said, is for people to begin to work together to challenge the incoming government so as to force it to perform better.
