Nigeria must not bungle this year’s elections –Obasanjo

A former president, Olusegun
Obasanjo, on Sunday warned that
Nigeria could not afford to bungle
the 2015 general elections because
the international community was
watching the country.
Obasanjo spoke at a public
enlightenment programme on the
electoral process, organised by the
Organisation of Tadhamunul
Muslimeen and the Ogun State
chapter of The Muslim Congress.
The programme held at the
Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential
Library, Abeokuta.
The former president said, “The
elections are crucial and the
international community is
watching us. We should not
disappoint them, by ensuring that
the elections are free and fair.
“This election is for progress and
development of this great country
and should be devoid of
sentiments, like religion, ethnic
and nepotism.
“This election should be a unity
election for all of us.”
He said all eyes would also be on
the Independent National Electoral
Commission and the Nigeria Police
to ensure free and fair elections,
characterised by prompt arrival of
materials and provision of
adequate security where
necessary.
He said, “We must not make the
mistake of allowing the
international community to make
jest of us; as such, those we want to
beg are the Independent National
Electoral Commission, who had just
told us here on how the process
would go, to assure us that it shall
be well.
“You must be fully prepared. You
must be up and doing. No excuses.
You know all the terrain very well;
there should be no delay and late
arrival of voting materials.
“Where you are going to use boat
to ferry on the water you know it,
where it is going to be bicycle, you
know it. So, there should be no
unnecessary delay.
“A situation where somebody at
Eggua will be phoning at 11am that
they are still expecting materials
will be unacceptable. A situation
where the police will be telling us
no fuel to move will be
unacceptable.”
Obasanjo, who was represented by
Chief Idowu Akanle, stressed the
need for Nigerians to protect the
integrity of the country with their
votes, “so that we could also be like
countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar
and United Arab Emirate where
there was order in governance.”