The United States chapter of the All Progressives Congress wrote to President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kelvin McCarthy on Monday, urging them to ignore a petition submitted by aggrieved Nigerians that seeks to discredit the 2023 presidential election. This request comes three days after the U.S. administration granted a permit for a small protest by Nigerian diasporans. The permit, seen by The [Source], allows only one hundred demonstrators to gather in Lafayette Park, Washington, D.C., for four hours on April 3. It explicitly requires participants to “comply with all of the conditions of this permit and with all reasonable directions of the United States Park Police.”
The demonstration is being organized by the Nigerian American Coalition for Justice and Democracy Inc., led by Franklin Ekechukwu. In a memo, Ekechukwu explained that the protest is a response to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) alleged failure to follow its own guidelines and uphold democratic principles.
Prof. Tai Balofin, chairman of the United States chapter of the APC, countered these claims, asserting that Nigeria’s sovereignty has functioned effectively since independence. In his statement, Balofin wrote: “We are writing to you regarding a recent petition that calls for the discrediting of the Nigerian presidential election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission deemed free and fair. As leaders of a country that upholds democratic values, we implore you to disregard the petition.” He noted that Nigeria has faced numerous challenges that threaten inter‑tribal, religious, and political relations, but emphasized that the nation’s democracy has remained intact since 1999. Balofin praised the late Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as a pivotal figure in Nigeria’s democratic development, describing him as a strategic master whose political acumen continues to inspire leaders.
Balofin stressed the importance of respecting the democratic process and the decisions of the electoral body, warning that any attempt to truncate democracy or establish an interim government would be unconstitutional and destabilizing. He condemned actions that subvert constitutional mechanisms for addressing disputes, labeling them seditious and a threat to Nigeria’s peace and stability. He called on the U.S. government to condemn such actions and reaffirm its support for Nigeria’s democratic process, adding that the APC is ready to provide further evidence to the U.S. Congress.
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