The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation has called on the nation’s judiciary not to disappoint Nigerians in handling the lawsuits arising from the February 25, 2023 presidential election. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the group’s convener, Kinsman Chikelu, urged the courts to stand with Nigerians and to shed light on what transpired during the election.
Chikelu emphasized that the judges presiding over the cases must ensure that justice prevails. “As civilized citizens of Nigeria living in the diaspora, we place our trust in the judiciary and use this opportunity to reiterate our demand that they do not disappoint us or the entire nation,” he said. “They should apply the law as it stands, do the needful, and restore confidence in what happened.”
The organisation categorically asserts that the presidential election was not free and fair to the standards expected, despite briefings from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Chikelu recounted personally witnessing that the devices used for the election failed to transmit results from polling units to the central server. “We were all worried and returned to Abuja the next day, noting that what we observed at the polling units contradicted the pre‑election briefings about the BVAS system being a game changer,” he explained.
He added that the briefings from INC focused on organization and arrangements, yet on election day “we witnessed drama that was contrary to those briefings, especially regarding the uploading of presidential vote results.” Chikelu called on various Nigerian diaspora groups—including leadership chapters, student unions, traders’ unions, professional unions, and the Ottawa group—to remain calm and allow the judiciary the opportunity to act appropriately. “Let’s not jump the gun; let’s give the judiciary the chance to do what is necessary,” he concluded.
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