[ADDRESS]
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The Honorable [Insert Senator’s Name]
Dear Senator [Insert Senator's Last Name ]
The U.S. GOVERNMENT HAS A COMPELLING INTEREST TO ENSURE A FREE AND FAIR DEMOCRATIC TRANSTION IN 2023 NIGERIAN PRESIDNETIAL ELECTION
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My name is [ YOUR NAME …………………… ] a U.S. citizen originally from Nigerian. I live within your constituent at [ YOUR ADDRESS …………………. ] I am asking that you help take action to democracy and election integrity in Nigeria. I am asking that you work with your colleagues through your oversight powers and urge the U.S. Department to ensure that 2023 General Elections are free and fair in Nigeria.
Nigeria is at an inflection point, facing the worst wave of insecurity in twenty years, democratic backsliding, and falling public confidence in governance and elections. In the face of 2023 General Elections, the stakes are high for both Nigerians and the greater Sahel.1 Nigeria politicians have shamelessly a reputation for ‘muddled elections, ‘criminal politics’ and ‘garrison democracy. Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) – coalition of local civil society groups, and the European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) – reported that ‘the trend of awarding high votes, or votes in excess of the number of accredited voters. 2.Elections victories in Nigeria are secured and celebrated at the cost of human lives and at the expense of law and order. Nigeria's democracy as death threat. 3 For example at the threshold of 2015 General Election the current Nigerian President issued a proclamation regarding the election, “dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood.”4 In 2019 Presidential Election in which, President Buhari was a candidates issued death threats to election riggers and political thugs; “I’ve ordered Army, Police to be ruthless, those who may want to subvert the electoral process, especially on Election Day, saying they would be doing so at the expense of their lives Ballot box snatchers:5
The President was counteracted by United States Ambassador, Stuart Symington, warned public officials not to obey unlawful directives issued in the name of the “boss,” saying any politician whose utterances incite people to violence would be held to account for the crime. The United States Ambassador, Stuart Symington- Buhari campaign team accuses. 5 In 2019 just about a week to the Presidential Election, a key ally of Nigeria’s President, a Governor in which his State is accustomed to violence and wanton killings of thousands of lives, including the summary execution of over 800 Shiite Muslims by the military, threatened against foreign election observers, including those from some of the most powerful Western countries.6 He warned the international community: “We are waiting for the person who will come and intervene. They will go back in body bags because nobody will come to Nigeria and tell us how to run our country.” 7
Nigeria leader's ally says foreigners who intervene in poll face 'body bags: Elections victories in Nigeria are secured and celebrated at the cost of human lives and at the expense of law and order. Nigeria's democracy as death threat. 8 While Nigeria’s 2019 elections failed to meet domestic or international expectations; the Coalition observer group disclosed 106 were killed in the 2015 general elections, and an estimated 626 persons were killed across Nigeria in the six months of 2019 General Elections of starting of the election campaign and the commencement of the general and supplementary elections, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has said. 9 Who knows what the consequences will be, if the United States, will fail and the international community refuse and fail again to hold perpetrators of these heinous crime accountable, and allow Nigeria to completely be swallowed up by violence and mass slaughters- the death and humanitarian tolls will be incalculable to the world.
The result was voter apathy and decline over the years of the number of registered voters. For example in 2011, only 53.68 per cent of total registered voters voted in Presidential Election, 43.65 per cent in 2015, and only 34.75 per cent in 2019 respectively. The political pundit’s prediction of appeared to be failing, why, because moral courage, character, competence and inspiration of an emerging presidential candidates who has redefined and deepened Nigeria’s democracy in very fundamental ways.10 As a result, there is an uptick if the upsurge in voter registration.11 and the National Election Body-INEC registered 12,298,944 more voters were registered.
This increased Nigeria’s registered voters from 84,000,484 recorded as of the last 2019 election cycle to 96,299,428. The number of registered voters for the 2015 elections was 69,288,117. 12 INEC continuous voter registration process was suspended on July 31, threatening to disenfranchise many Nigerians—especially young people— who are just starting to become interested in the election. If these issues are not addressed in a timely fashion, there could be serious risks to the integrity of the 2023 elections. 13
I am asking you to work with other in the United States Congress and State Department to intervene, monitor and secure a free and fair Election in 2023 General Election in Nigeria in a timely fashion to forestall existential risk of kissing good bye to the greatest country in Africa.
I look forward to hearing your response about these concerns.
Sincerely,
[ YOUR NAME ]
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1. ICYMI: Nigeria’s Elections Will Test America’s New Africa Strategy: https://www.iri.org/news/icymi-nigerias-elections-will-test-americas-new-africa-strategy/
2. Rigging Through Courts: The Judiciary and Electoral Fraud in Nigeria fraud. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272433000_Rigging_Through_the_Courts_The_Judiciary_and_Electoral_Fraud_in_Nigeria
3. 06 Mar 2019: https://www.financialnigeria.com/nigeria-s-democracy-as-death-threat-blog-419.html
4. 2015 ‘ll be bloody if… Buhari- https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/05/2015-ll-be-bloody-if-buhari/.
5. US, other envoys of supporting Atiku- https://punchng.com/buhari-campaign-team-accuses-us-other-envoys-of-supporting-atiku/
6. Nigeria's democracy as death threat-https://www.financialnigeria.com/nigeria-s-democracy-as-death-threat-blog-419.html;
7. I’ve ordered Army, Police to be ruthless – Buhari- https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/ballot-box-snatchers-ive-ordered-army-police-to-be-ruthless-buhari/.
8. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-election/nigeria-leaders-ally-says-foreigners-who-intervene-in-poll-face-body-bags-idUSKCN1PV2MQ.
9. 06 Mar 2019: https://www.financialnigeria.com/nigeria-s-democracy-as-death-threat-blog-419.html
10. 626 killed during 2019 Nigeria elections — Report: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/343971-626-killed-during-2019-nigeria-elections-report.html
11. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/ballot-box-snatchers-ive-ordered-army-police-to-be-ruthless-buhari/
12. https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/ballot-box-snatchers-ive-ordered-army-police-to-be-ruthless-buhari/
13. 16 things to know about just-concluded voter registration. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/546547-16-things-to-know-about-just-concluded-voter-registration.html
14. ICYMI: Nigeria’s Elections Will Test America’s New Africa Strategy-.”https://www.iri.org/news/icymi-nigerias-elections-will-test-americas-new-africa-strategy/