Dr. Moses Paul, the movement’s convener, stated during a press conference on Monday in Abuja that the movement’s members have been protesting and asking for the annulment of the presidential election despite threats of violence from political thugs.
The Free Nigeria Movement, or FNM, has explained why it demanded an interim administration.
The group said on Monday that it has given presentations to the US, UK, UN, ECOWAS, and other organizations regarding the allegedly rigged presidential and parliamentary elections held on February 25, 2023.
The group that claimed to have called for an interim national government, known as ING, insisted that their position hasn’t changed and expressed regret that some politicians and other individuals who stand to gain from the irregularities in the election may have taken that to mean they wanted the military to take over. They emphasized that the call was far from that.
Dr. Moses Paul, the movement’s convener, said during a press conference on Monday in Abuja that the movement’s members had been protesting and calling for the cancellation of the presidential election despite threats of violence from political thugs working for the current government, but that they had not been intimidated because they believed that the right thing should be done.
The Convener listed the following as demands: “sack, arrest, and prosecution of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu; cancellation of the presidential election scheduled for February 25, 2023; compensation for all those injured in electoral violence; and establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Committee in Lagos and other hotspots of violence.”
We have presented to the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as to nation-representatives of the United Nations, the European Union, and the ECOWAS Commission, he said.
When the poorly thought-out attempt by spin doctors to characterize the declaration of an interim national government as a call for a military takeover started to inflame the political climate, we also convened a press conference to clarify our stance on it.
Additionally, we have prayed for the country as a nation. But most importantly, we have pursued our demands without resorting to violence.
Every citizen stated that the presidential election results did not reflect the will of the people, according to findings from the streets, and he noted that they could no longer remain silent.