The Spokesman for the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Festus Keyamo (SAN), has accused the United States Ambassador, Stuart Symington, and other western ambassadors of onesidedness and partial support aimed at favoring the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar.
This was Festus’ reaction to warnings by Symington that anyone caught involving himself or herself in hate speeches would be thoroughly disciplined.
Stuart also warned public officials not to obey directives issued from their superiors, but are unlawful, issued, saying any politician whose words provoke violence would be dealt with for the crime.
Keyamo responded that his remarks are hinting at lies that that Buhari is planning to rig Saturday’s elections.
His words, “We take the view that the constant statements by Ambassador Symington and the other diplomats are implicit attacks against the government of Nigeria. These statements imply the Nigerian government is inclined to rig the election in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari. This is unfair and unacceptable to us. President Muhammadu Buhari has never been accused of electoral malpractice all his life. However, in contrast, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar publicly boasted a few months ago that he rigged the 2003 election in the Southwest States. Here, we have an open confession of blatant electoral malfeasance by the PDP candidate. But in all of these, there seems to be no concern by Ambassador Symington and other diplomats about this well-acknowledged proclivity of the main opposition.
“We expected that such open confession to rigging in the past would have drawn condemnation from the United States. Rather what we witnessed recently was the ignoble act of giving such a self-confessed rigger with a decade-old indictment in America for corruption hanging over his head a special status to enter the U.S for a few days. Such is the double standard that America now displays for the whole world to see.
“We are deeply concerned about many of the expressions of the United States’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador W. Stuart Symington and other Western Diplomats which have been directed towards Nigeria’s upcoming elections. Whilst we laud and whole-heartedly welcome their interests in the elections, many of these expressions have been notably off-key. The continued warnings about ‘flawed elections’ is capable of casting an unwarranted cloud over the process. Instead of encouraging our country toward credible elections, such statements undermine public confidence. It would appear that these envoys seem to have discredited the election before it has even taken place.”
