Me za ku yi don dakatar da zaben sau biyu da magudin zabe daga jam'iyya mai mulki?

Yet that same INEC undermined the use of that technology during the elections and collation process and declared as winner someone who clearly did not win the Presidential election. They then went further to take sides in the courts in a dogfight to defend their illegality. Who would convince the millions of Nigerians to vote in future elections after they suffered endlessly on queues to register to vote, to collect PVCs and to vote, based on INEC’s assurances only to see their votes stolen and given to someone they did not vote for? When people lose trust and confidence in elections, democracy is practically on life support. And by affirming and legitimizing the continued lack of transparency in our electoral system the courts are continuing to usurp the rights of voters to elect their leaders. The other grave implication is that contestants in Nigeria’s elections should do whatever is necessary to be declared the winner. That includes identity theft, impersonation, forging of educational and other documents, perjury, and violence.

As for me and my party this phase of our work is done. However, I am not going away. For as long as I breathe I will continue to struggle, with other Nigerians, to deepen our democracy and rule of law and for the kind of political and economic restructuring the country needs to reach its true potential. That struggle should now be led by the younger generation of Nigerians who have even more at stake than my generation. So, let me make a few proposals that I believe will help. We can urgently make constitutional amendments that will prevent any court or tribunal from hiding behind technicalities and legal sophistry to affirm electoral heists and undermine the will of the people. Our democracy must mean something; it must be substantive. Above all, it must be expressed through free, fair and transparent elections that respect the will of the people. Firstly, we must make electronic voting and collation of results mandatory. This is the 21st century and countries less advanced than Nigeria are doing so already. It is only bold initiatives that transform societies. Secondly, we must provide that all litigation arising from a disputed election must be concluded before the inauguration of a winner. This was the case in 1979. The current time frame between elections and inauguration of winners is inadequate to dispense with election litigations.

Our country stands at the cusp of a new beginning, and the decisions that voters in the elections on Saturday shall make will determine how ready we are, as a people, to provoke the march to economic and national recovery. I would also like to advocate for a peaceful election this Saturday and urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the opportunity of this by-election to redeem itself of the fraudulent and shambolic elections of 2023. I want to specifically urge members of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party and, indeed, agents of other political parties participating in the elections to conduct themselves according to the laid down regulations on the day of the election. -AA

This afternoon, I received a delegation of young Nigerians led by Pastor Ukpola O. Chinedu from the Nigeria Electoral Reform Coalition (NERCO). I could relate to the urgency in their demands that the National Assembly amend the current electoral act to make electronic transmission of results from polling units mandatory. They are deeply worried that the current Act, which left the mode of transmission of results at the discretion of INEC, negatively impacted the 2023 general elections. They informed me that the group is not only pressuring the National Assembly on mandatory electronic transmission of results but also on taking the powers of appointing INEC officials from the President, vesting it on a transparent recruitment process by citizens. These efforts, they said, are aimed at demanding that every vote counts in our elections. I agree with the group that demanding transparent and credible elections is the way to go.

President Tinubu and his administration must resist any temptation to turn institutions of the Nigerian state into instruments of partisan advantage. The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC. And let nobody misunderstand our demand for peaceful elections as weakness. We are asking only for what the Constitution and democracy guarantee every Nigerian: the freedom to vote and the right to have that vote count. If our institutions cannot conduct a free, fair, peaceful and transparent election in one state, Nigerians will legitimately ask what confidence they should have in the general election next year. The world is watching Osun. Nigerians are watching. History is taking notes. So my message to INEC, the security agencies and the Tinubu administration is simple: Let the people vote. Let every vote count.

On this day, I call for the rule of law to be applied fairly in every case. The continued detention of Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai raises questions about due process that the authorities must answer. Following Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction, his right to lawful appeal must be respected, while the grievances and divisions surrounding his case must be addressed seriously. I also repeat my call for the release of the five young Nigerians arrested in Borno after wearing “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts. The police have made further allegations against them; those allegations must be tested fairly. A political slogan on a shirt must never become a reason to imprison a Nigerian. And I make this promise to every Nigerian who has stood in line to vote and later wondered whether that vote counted: if elected President, I will work to end election rigging. I will respect INEC’s independence, support the prompt publication of results from every polling unit, and insist that anyone caught buying votes or changing results faces the law - even if that person belongs to my party. Your vote must count as you cast it. You should not need powerful friends to make it count.

Question: Would you support zoning when it doesn’t personally benefit you and, if elected, would you support a Southern candidate to succeed you? Answer: I am not sure that there has been any politician in Nigeria who has made more sacrifice than me to protect the principle of power rotation. In the 1993 presidential election that produced the infamous June 12 crisis arising from the annulment of the presidential election, I withdrew from the race to create a path for the late Chief MKO Abiola to emerge as the candidate of our political party in that election. Similarly, in 2003, an overwhelming number of governors of the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to prevail on me to jettison my support for President Olusegun Obasanjo and, instead, run for president myself. I declined their offer; I believed it was contrary to the zoning principle. If I am elected president in 2027, I would raise the bar of governance in Nigeria. It will be certain that only people with credible credentials—either from the South or North—will be bold enough to present themselves to succeed me.

3. Stop political defections that betray voters. Strengthen laws and close loopholes that allow elected officials to switch parties without consequence, protecting the integrity of the electoral mandate. Details: ● Require elected officials who defect to automatically vacate their seats and seek a fresh mandate through by-elections 4. Strengthen election integrity through full transparency, technology, and accountability. We will deploy technology and independent oversight to ensure that every vote is counted, results are transparent, and electoral malpractice is detected and punished. Details: