ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has called for post-election peace in the country while urging Nigerians to accept the results of the election in good faith.
Mrs Ene Obi, the Country Director, AAN, who said this in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, said there was the need for unity in the country.
“Nigerians are a passionate people and we must never let passion overrun our logic and reacting to the results of an election with violence is deeply illogical.
“ActionAid urges all Nigerians to accept the results of the elections in good faith so that we, as a united nation, can move forward in building a better Nigeria.
“For those who reject the credibility of the elections, we encourage you to take appropriate legal action. Violence will not resolve the issues; it will only create new ones.”
Obi, while congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari on his re-election, urged him to prioritise the issues of insecurity, human capital development, poverty eradication as well as corruption.
“Addressing poverty must be an immediate and long-term priority for the re-elected president. The current levels of poverty in the country are completely and utterly unacceptable.
“We are the richest nation in Africa and yet over 87 million of us live in poverty. It is deeply unjust, but more than that, it is dangerous.
“Boko Haram was able to take hold in Nigeria as a direct result of the impoverishment and marginalisation of the people.
“It is no coincidence that the insurgents’ stronghold is in the north-east of Nigeria, where poverty is at its worst. It is evident that the effective implementation of pro-poor policies is needed to defeat them.
“To bring an end to poverty and insecurity in Nigeria, Buhari must vastly improve public services and infrastructure and intensify efforts in tackling the corruption that plagues the country.
“He should also look for alternate revenue sources such as the proper taxation of foreign companies.’’
Obi also called on Nigerians to play a key role in holding government at all level accountable in the delivery of their mandates.
Meanwhile, on the process of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections, the country director highlighted a number of issues that should be addressed before the governorship elections.
Obi said that the turnout of eligible voters on Feb. 23 was relatively low at 35 per cent when compared to the total number of accredited voters.
She said that this was largely attributed to the postponement of elections which led to voter apathy, adding logistic delays such as the late opening of polling units and the late arrival of materials was another challenge.
“ActionAid Nigeria as an accredited observer of the 2019 general elections observed in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory deems it fit to comment on the outcome of the presidential elections as follows:
“The most serious issue is that of electoral abuses. Polling units in different areas of the country reported various types of electoral interference ranging from the destruction of ballot papers to the use of scare tactics.
“Based on ActionAid’s observation of the election, the major issue with card readers are improper handling and use of the machines as most of the polling officers appeared unfamiliar with the gadget.
“ActionAid Nigeria observed that most voters, especially in the hinterlands are still unaware of the voting process and this is evident in the large number of void votes across polling units in the country.’’
Obi, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to engage more with civil society to ensure that effective policies and programmes were created with the needs of poor and marginalised people at the centre.
