US to assist Nigeria to deepen democracy

L-R: Hon. Sunday Ememchi Udeh-Okoy and Dr. Franz Seitz during the event



By Hafsat Abdullahi

The United States will assist Nigeria in entrenching true democratic principle that will deepen the nation’s representative governance, Political Officer and First Secretary of United States Embassy in Abuja, Dr. Franz Seitz has said.

Dr. Seitz made this known in Abuja yesterday when he paid a courtesy call to the National Youth Leader of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Sunday Ememchi Udeh-Okoye at the party’s National Secretariat Abuja.

Dr. Seitz who lamented the monetization of elective principle condemned the act of vote buying maintaining that it doesn’t have a place in democratic principle and peocess.

He therefore, advised electorate to shun it in totality to enable our nascent democracy take root.

The reactions were consequent upon receiving a petition alleging Political Intimidation, Harassment, Forced Disappearance and Human Rights Abuses submitted by the National Youth Leader urging the nations of the world to intervene.

It could be recalled that Udeh-Okoye started a tour of embassies and foreign missions in Nigeria to press home his prayers for a free and fair polls in 2019.



He first visited German Ambassador to Nigeria Dr. Bernhard Schlagheck and UK High commission where he met with a representative of the UK High Commissioner to Nigeria and submitted a copy of the petition to Her Majesty’s government.



Moreover, Udeh-Okoye welcomed a delegation from the US Embassy that paid him a courtesy visit and during his discussion with the US embassy delegate; he submitted another copy of the petition to the US government through the Embassy.

Udeh-Okoye is billed to visit other foreign missions in Nigeria like the French embassy, European Union delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS, United Nations, African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.


Below is a copy of the petition:



The President of the United States of America,

White House, Washington D.C

Through the US Ambassador to Nigeria

Embassy of the United States of America,

Abuja, Nigeria

Dear Mr. President,

*PETITION ON POLITICAL INTIMIDATION, HARRASSMENT, FORCED DISAPPEARANCE AND HUMAN RIGHT ABUSES*

On behalf of the youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria, it is with humility,
anguish and pain that I am appealing to the United States President, Government and people, whom I believe are deeply concerned about the peace of the world and the rights of every human being no matter where they domicile, to consider the merits of this petition.

Your Excellency, we would like to draw your attention to the gross human right abuses and victimization of notable opposition leaders and voices who are being harassed or hounded by security operatives using all manners of frivolous and vexatious allegations to intimidate them into silence so that this current All Progressive Congress (APC) administration of President Muhammadu Buhari can perpetuate itself in power beyond 2019, even against the will of the electorate.

A case in point was the frivolous looters list that was released by the APC-led federal government that mischievously indicted leaders of the opposition including the national chairman of our great party PDP, Prince Uche Secondus.

This slanderous action by the APC-led federal government prompted our national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to approach a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria, which granted him relief and fined the federal government for defamation of character.

Today, despite our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association and speech, Nigerians now live in fear of this intolerant, overbearing, bigoted and dictatorial administration seeking to foist a fascist regime on our country.

Your Excellency, how do we explain or justify the evil plan of the APC-led federal government to use the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State security apparatus to scuttle the vote of the people like we witnessed in the recent Ekiti State and Osun State gubernatorial elections that took place this year?

Today, every unbiased Nigerian sees the Osun State election as a sham and broad daylight robbery of the wish of the people of Osun State by the APC-led Federal Government in active connivance of INEC and the state security organizations.

Your Excellency, we the youth of PDP decry this raging intimidation of our party leaders, officials, members and supporters and call on the United States and the international community to stand up and condemn this drift towards stone-age despotism. Nigeria is a democratic state and we reject any attempt by anybody to suppress the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people, particularly, regarding the choice of how they should be governed.

Also, there have been reported cases of the use of thugs and even state security personnel to attack leaders of the opposition, the press and anyone that holds a contrary view from those of the ruling party.

For example, there was an attack on a PDP senator, Mr Urhoghide, at the Benin airport, some days after he called for Mr Buhari’s impeachment in the Senate for approval and withdrawal of $496 million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) when it was not appropriated for by the parliament.

There is also the case of the intimidation, arrest and manhandling of senator Dino Melaye using state security personnel by the APC-led federal government. Just last week, former Governor Ayodele Fayose was detained by the EFCC after honouring their invitation a day after he handed over the reins of leadership to a new governor in Ekiti State.

We have also not forgotten the blockade of the National Assembly by security forces, which were preceded by a similar blockade of the residence of the Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki and the Deputy Senate President of Nigeria Prof. Ike Ekweremadu.

Just recently, on Friday the 5th of October 2018, during a peaceful protest against the conduct of the Osun State election, leaders and members of the opposition were tear gassed and manhandled by men of the Nigerian Police Force. The government has also just placed a travel ban on leading opposition voices in a bid to intimidate them.

Based on the above and with the present realities that we live in today’s Nigeria as members of the opposition, I am appealing to the United States and the international community to show solidarity with a section of humanity that is threatened, victimized and harassed for nothing else but for their political ideologies and views.

Our prayer is that the United States should exert its influence on the Nigerian government and get a commitment from President Muhammadu Buhari and heads of all the relevant institutions like INEC and the security apparatus that they will conduct and supervise over a credible, free and fair election in 2019 and that they will not in any way intimidate, victimize or harass any members of the opposition.

We pray that the American people show solidarity with the practice and survival of democracy in Nigeria by making the Nigerian Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari know that it will be held responsible for any atrocities that occurs in Nigeria resulting from state manipulation of the peoples will and wishes during the elections.


Please, Mr. President, receive the assurances of our most esteemed regards.

Most respectfully,

Rt. Hon. SKE Udeh-Okoye

National Youth Leader (PDP)