Nigerian govt wants US, UK to keep close watch on ‘desperate’ opposition

The Federal Government has called on the international community, including the United States and the United Kingdom to keep a close watch on the oppositions parties in Nigeria.

The government also welcomed the statements from the United States and the United Kingdom demanding credible and peaceful election in Nigeria and threatening punitive measures against election riggers and perpetrators of electoral violence.

In a statement issued in Ilorin on Friday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government is particular delighted that the statements came after it alerted the nation to the machinations of some opposition elements who are working to scuttle the 2019 polls through widespread violence.

He said, “A few days ago, we alerted the nation to the plot by the opposition to orchestrate widespread violence in the country, using insurgents and criminal elements within and outside the country. Their plan is to scuttle the election and then push for an interim government, having realized they can’t win a free, fair, credible and peaceful elections.

“The fact that those statements came after we issued our red alert, which is based on credible intelligence, shows that the international community is closely monitoring events ahead of the election. We urge them to keep a close tab on the desperate opposition, whose language, actions and undisguised threats are antithetical to the conduct of peaceful polls.”

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Alhaji Mohammed said Nigerians and the international community should take seriously the assurance of a credible and violence-free election that has been consistently given by President Muhammadu Buhari, a tried-and-tested democrat and a globally-acclaimed man of integrity.

He said the APC-led administration is very confident of victory in the forthcoming elections, adding that a party that was not so desperate as to rig election while in opposition had no business rigging election or perpetrating violence now that it is in power and is enjoying massive support from the citizenry.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has since lambasted Mohammed for making such claim, insisting that it was the ruling party instead, that has been busy looking at ways to scuttle the coming polls.

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