2023 Gubernatorial/States Assemblies Election – NIGERIAN ELECTORATES COMMENDED – PRESIDENCY CHARGED TO END NAIRA SCARCITY BY GIVING CBN MARCHING ORDERS
Nigerian Electorates have been commended for turning-out to vote in the Gubernatorial and States Assemblies Elections held yesterday across the Country.
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria made the commendation while commenting on yesterday’s polls. It however called for immediate and diligent prosecution of all those arrested for electoral crimes all over the Federation.
In a Press Release signed by the National Coordinator of the Group Mal. Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Group commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Security Agencies on the success of the Election, pointing out that both the electoral and security officials performed credittably. It therefore appealed to all to accept the results of the Elections as might be released by the INEC in line with the peace accord usually signed before the Elections are held.
The Group stated that those who committed electoral crimes and arrested in the two segmental Elections held this year throughout the Federation must not be freed but tried appropriately in the Courts of Law; warning that in all Elections held in the Country so far, prosecution and purnishment for election offences have been non-existent; adding that this year’s Election must not go same way as we now have revised Electoral Laws that purnishes electoral offences. It also called on the 9th National Assembly to pass the Bill submitted by the Executive for the establishment of National Electoral Offences’ Commission (NEOC) before the end of its tenure.
On vote-buying, the Group commended President Muhammadu Buhari on his fight against corruption including vote-buying, it however called on him to give a Presidential Order immediately to the Central Bank of Nigeria to end the artificial scarcity created by the CBN on new and old Naira scarcity.
Muslim Media Watch Group stated further that with the Election being over, barricade of Gates of Commercial Banks and lock-out of bank customers must come to an end from tomorrow (20th March, 2023) as Nigerians of all categories have been highly tormented and humiliated with difficulties they had in accessing their funds in various Comnercial Banks for the past 6 weeks, stating further that only God could save most Nigerians medical dangers arising from the hardship imposed on them by CBN for its decision not to fund Comnercial Banks sufficiently even after the Supreme Court Judgement since 3rd March this year.
With the Elections being over – the Group maintained, the fear of State Governments and Parties Top Functionaries using money to buy votes is over; therefore there is no excuse for CBN to ‘purnish’ innocent Nigerians by not releasing sufficient cash to Commercial Banks whether old or new Notes.
On the low turn-out of voters in the yesterday’s election, the Group attributed it to lack of confidence in our democratic system by the people; adding that most Parties Primaries that produced most of the contestants were full of infractions and shaddy deals; warning that for democracy to survive in Nigeria, there must be Political and Judicial Reforms. It therefore tasked the incoming Administration to tackle the problems holistically and decisively.
Signed
Ibrahim Abdullahi, FCIPM
National Coordinator,
Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG)
19th March, 2023 CE
27th Sha’ban, 1444 AH
