Polls: Nigeria must avoid ‘Venezuelan nightmare’, says Akinyemi

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi,
has called for peace ahead of the general elections.

He said in his experience of monitoring elections, he had never
been filled with the kind of fear he had about the coming
polls.

Akinyemi called for caution so that Nigeria does not go through
the Venezuelan experience, where the international community, led
by America, decided to recognise the opposition leader in the
country as alternative President because of the alleged
malpractices that dodged the election.

The ex-minister urged politicians to guard their utterances.

He made the appeal in a statement on Sunday.

Akinyemi said, “Since I have been monitoring elections in
Nigeria, I cannot remember any elections that filled me with so
much dread and trepidation as these forthcoming elections. Not even
the riotous 1965 federal elections. And we all know what that led
to.

“As a scholar in international relations, I cannot but bring to
the attention of Nigerians the significance of the latest
development in Venezuela where the international community, under
the United States, has accorded recognition to the opposition
leader as the alternative president as their reaction to what they
perceive as a flawed election.

“This is promoting regime change by another route. This is the
beginning not the end of the Venezuelan nightmare. Nigeria should
by all means avoid a repetition of the Venezuelan nightmare in
Nigeria.

“Therefore, I appeal to the political leaders to call on their
supporters to eschew violence and any undemocratic behaviour during
these elections. We should avoid hate speech not just now but in
our political system.”