The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, on Tuesday received a letter from Nigerian youths asking it to prevail on the federal government to nullify the February 25 presidential election.
The youth group had stormed the ECOWAS headquarters in Abuja to protest the manner in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducted the 2023 presidential poll.
The youths, who were not pleased with the outcome of the election, stormed the head office of ECOWAS to demand the cancellation of the election.
Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved youths, the convener of the Free Nigeria Movement, Moses Ogidi-Paul called on the international community, particularly ECOWAS, to prevail on the Nigerian government to annul the presidential election and set up an interim committee, pending the conduct of a fresh poll.
He said: “Our country needs healing. It will be counterproductive to allow a fraudulent process to subsist as fraud will eternally birth fraud. We cannot grow our democracy on falsehood and suspicion. The holes in our national fabric must be woven shut. One way is to immediately establish a Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Lagos State and other flashpoints of voter intimidation and violence during the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections. This will help build trust, confidence and further ethnic cooperation among Nigerians.
“As concerned citizens, we believe that our country is destined for greatness and are hopeful that in no distant time, our faith will nudge our dreams to reality. This is our prayer as we nurse the bruises of hope. For though they force us to the precipice, we will not curse our country or stand by those who curse it. We will not steal from our country whatever treasures it possesses in dignity. We will hold on to the promise of unity and faith, peace and progress.”
The ECOWAS director of Administration and General Services who received the letter thanked the youths for conducting themselves peacefully and promised to forward the letter to the appropriate quarters for onward action.
