A rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) has written to key officials of the United States government, alleging plot to rig the 2023 presidential election.
The group said it has unveiled a 23-page special investigative report, which it has also forwarded to key government officials in the United States government, calling for greater interest of the Nigeria’s forthcoming presidential election, to avoid rigging.
In a press release signed by the groups board of trustees chairman, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, and others, the group said: “The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has frontally and statistically unmasked the present leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all its rigging plots ahead of Nigeria’s all-important Presidential Election fixed for 25th Feb 2023.
“This follows the successful completion of our months-long Special Investigative Report on INEC regarding what the Commission is really cooking ahead of the 2023 General Elections particularly the 25th Feb 2023 Presidential Poll.
“In the letters dated 30th of Sept and 3rd Oct 2022, the attention of sixteen (16) key US Lawmakers was drawn regarding the subject matter.”
The release listed lawmakers who were sent the report to include; Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Martin Heinrich, Tim Scott, Dianne Fienstein, Tim Kelly, James M. Inhofe and Ben Lujan.
Other recipients of the letters are Reps Adam Schiff, Al Green, Christopher Smith, Jim Jordan, James Clyburn, Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, Congressman Dean Philips, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Korol Wilson M.
Nigeria Desk Officer, Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State are also recipients of the letter.
The group said the rigging plot started with the systematic disenfranchisement of many people during the recently concluded continuous voters registration, and the enfranchisement of minors and other ineligible persons in some parts of the country to support certain people.
Umeagbalasi said: “The letters to US top Government functionaries and key Lawmakers had specifically drawn their attention to the exposed 50 rigging plots by Nigeria’s INEC which saw 77.4m truly Nigerian citizens of voting age disenfranchised and the independently estimated 15m illegal aliens, minors and ghost names enfranchised as registered voters in Nigeria.
“The letters had also recalled that Her Excellency, Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States had in a meeting with Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo on 2nd September 2022 at US White House, pledged to support Nigeria’s election with funds.
“While thanking the US Government and the US Congress for such huge financial supports to Nigeria, we called for total review of the 2023 ‘Credible Poll Delivery Support Funds to INEC’ and uncompromisingly tying of future funding supports and personality recognitions to electoral process accountability,” the group said.
