The Movement for Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has said the much anticipated 2023 general elections may not hold due to insecurity.
MOSIEND’s president-general, Kennedy Tonjo West, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday in Port Harcourt yesterday to commemorate the 2022 Democracy Day celebration, called for the setting up of an interim national government to run the affairs of the country.
West accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly attempting to manipulate the electioneering process to favour their paymasters ahead of the general elections.
He said: “We are using this medium to join our father, Afe Babalola, to call for an interim national government because there is a clear indication that election will not hold come 2023 with this level of insecurity, unemployment and fall of education.
“This country is not safe for the 2023 elections because there is no adequate security. What INEC is doing by changing the goal-post by the days to fit in and suit their paymasters does not give hope to a common man in Nigeria.”
The MOSIEND leader said June 12 every year serves as a day of sober reflection for the group, because Nigeria does not practice democracy.
West said: “For us, June 12 is for sober reflection for us to continue to stay in this entrapment called Nigeria. Nigeria is not practicing democracy; Nigeria is practicing kleptocracy and deceptocracy.
“A country where the rule of law doesn’t count cannot be a democratic country. A country where there is collapse of security, of health, of education; insecurity has gotten to its peak, where poverty has gotten to its zenith cannot be a democratic country.
“A country where there is no transparency, there is not accountability cannot be a democratic country. If like Abraham Lincoln said, democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people, then, Nigeria is not a democratic country because none of these indicators are being applied in the Nigerian context.
“Nigeria is a failed state, it is not a country anybody can hope on right now. For we at MOSIEND, we are calling on other ethnic nationalities to follow international practices to ensure that we decide to leave or to stay.”
