Nigerians In Diaspora Set To Carry Out Widespread Protest, Demand Resignation Of Akpabio, Yakubu

The United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UND) leadership has announced its intention to carry out widespread street protests at Nigerian embassies in Washington, D.C., several other US cities, London, and various major cities in Europe and Asia.

The group said the protest was to demand the immediate resignation of Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu.

They insisted that Akpabio should step aside over the allegation of budget padding raised against him by Sen. Abdul Ningi, while the INEC chairman must resign over what it described as the conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections.

Speaking via a statement by its President, Yusuf Adeyinka, in Abuja yesterday, the group called on international communities and foreign nations that practise ideal democracy, like Great Britain, the United States, and other nations of the world, to bar the INEC Chairman and his team members, Akpabio, from entering their countries.

The group also commended Ningi for his courage in exposing budget padding in the National Assembly.

The statement read in part, “We, the leadership of United Nigerians in the Diaspora (UND), an umbrella body of diaspora groups comprising of Nigerians living in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, some European and Asian nations, wish to alert Nigerians and the entire international community on our resolve to hit the streets and Nigerian embassies in Washington DC, some other US cities, London and other major cities in Europe and Asia, where our members are domiciled to protest the conduct of a shambolic 2023 general elections by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmoud Yakubu and his rogue team.

“For emphasis, this global body, while commending some of the Northern senators like Ningi for their courage to speak up on the alleged padding of N3 trillion into the initially approved N25 trillion by the President, gives the Senate President, Akpabio only 48 hours to honourably resign his position and face immediate prosecution.

“Should he fail to heed, we encourage members of the National Assembly to immediately commence a process of his impeachment as he has manifestly demonstrated incapacity, corruption and collusion with the executive arm of government he was ordinarily elected to checkmate in line with the principles of checks and balances as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.”