As INEC sets to announce results, APC again warns EU, US, France to shun interference

Ahead of the official announcement of the presidential election results, Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Party (APC), has warned the United States (US) Embassy in Nigeria, the European (EU) Mission and the government of France to shun interfering in the country’s affairs.

In a statement released by its Situation Room on Sunday night, the APC said “Foreign missions are hereby warned to desist from further interference and engaging elements that seek to destabilize the peace of Nigeria.

The statement read further, “Our attention has been drawn to the trend of international foreign missions and observer groups buying into the false propaganda and fake results being tweeted and put out by the opposition party and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“We note that the EU Mission, United States Embassy in Nigeria particularly and even for a brief moment the President of France, has been involved in this unfortunate activity despite the call of well meaning countries like China and Russia, that Nigeria’s elections should not be interfered with.

“Despite this trend, Nigeria’s Intelligence Agencies having penetrated the plans of nefarious elements to make Nigeria ungovernable despite the low level of violence compared to previous years, is now monitoring channels where Mr. Abubakar and his party are putting out fake results and the situation is under control.

“The independence and sovereignty of African Nations should and must be respected, the party said.”

The APC warning may have come as response to call by a ranking member of the U.S House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Rep Chris Smith, on INEC to announce Saturday’s election without any delay.

He claimed there have been pressures to tamper with official results in some states and cautioned against such.

In Smith’s statement, which Per Second News in Washington, obtained, the lawmaker called on U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo to hold officials of Nigeria election saboteurs accountable.

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He said, “Well-placed sources report that in some states and localities including Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi, Imo, Abia —INEC Commissioners are receiving enormous pressure to alter poll results. This must not be allowed to happen, the U.S lawmaker said.

“I also ask Secretary Pompeo to hold accountable anyone who seeks to cheat the Nigerian people.”

INEC had on Sunday postponed announcement of the election results till today (Monday).

This is the second time within two weeks the ruling party is calling on the foreign bodies to mind the business, and not interfere in the elections matters of Nigeria.

It would also be recalled, that Governor Nasir El’Rufai had sparked controversy when he said during an interview that any foreigner who interfered in the country’s election would return to their home country in body bags.

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