MURIC Calls for Calm in Nigerian Election Process, Warns Against Recurrence of June 12 Crisis

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has expressed its concern that the opposition is attempting to use the court system to disrupt the ongoing electoral process. Professor Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director of MURIC, has warned that this is reminiscent of the June 12 crisis in 1993 and any attempt to replicate it will not be tolerated. At a press conference on February 28th, MURIC argued that the opposition’s claims of electoral fraud are invalid, especially since many incumbent governors were unsuccessful in their bids for the Senate. Akintola stated, “This is another June 12 loading. Like Arthur Nzeribe headed for the courts in 1993 to stop the announcement of results of the June 12 election, the agent of the main opposition and his cohorts who stormed out of the collation centre is allegedly looking for a court injunction to stop proceedings at the collation centre. This was exactly how the June 12, 1993 election was annulled by the military. Anybody who supports this move is dragging Nigeria back to the Stone Age. We say no to another June 12.” He also criticized Olusegun Obasanjo for his “unsolicited and jaundiced intervention” after the former President called for the cessation of the collation of results, calling it “sacrilegious” and an “attempted coup”. MURIC urged INEC to ignore the opposition’s cries and continue with the process, saying, “INEC should not listen to these agents diabolic. The electoral body should not stop the collation of results, rather the exercise should continue until all the results are announced and certificates of return given to the winners.”