Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has declared its non-participation in a planned protest against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood.
The South Unity Youth Coalition announced a mass protest for June 12, Democracy Day, demanding Professor Yakubu’s removal, citing a compromised electoral process under his leadership.
In a statement, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the national president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, criticized ongoing dissent after the 2023 elections.
He expressed concern “Instead, what we have continued to see is that politicians and some of their paid agents have continued to fan embers of discord in the country owing to the outcome of the elections.
“We have said for the umpteenth time that there is no perfect election anywhere in the world.
“Our appeal to our brother, His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi, is to accept not just the outcome of the election but the verdict of the apex court in the land, the Supreme Court.
“In the case of the 2023 election, without sounding biased, it is a wrong conclusion for anyone to say that the INEC performed woefully. This cannot be so when the court upheld the majority of the elections, and in some cases where elections were annulled, it had to do with candidates’ qualifications and some other issues that could not be blamed on the INEC.”
He urged politicians, including Labour Party’s presidential candidate Peter Obi, to accept the election results and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Okwu emphasised the need to unite and move forward rather than fueling discord.
He acknowledged the imperfections of elections worldwide and defended INEC’s performance, noting that the courts upheld most election results.
Okwu urged against protests, stating that Igbo youths will not support actions destabilising the country.
He expressed the council’s support for President Tinubu’s government and electoral reforms through the National Assembly.