Hundreds of supporters of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Monday took a thank-you walk to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, with a declaration to mobilize 20 million Nigerians against the agitation for an Interim National Government ING in place of the May 29 inauguration of Tinubu.
The protesters under the aegis of The Natives, said its "20 million members across the country will resist any form of intimidation and threat against democracy in Nigeria and supporters of the legitimate President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu".
Addressing journalists outside the INEC headquarters in Abuja, 'Supreme Leader of The Natives', Hon. Smart Edwards, cautioned politicians to stop inciting Nigerians against the democratic process.
According to Edwards, "Nigerians went out on February 25 to vote for Nigerians and Nigerians won the election".
He said his group was at INEC to thank the Commission for standing firm against intimidation, propaganda and all forms of blackmail by those he described as "bad losers."
The Natives leader specifically cautioned the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party LP and Baze University founder, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed against inflammatory statements.
He said; "We want to particularly warn the LP vice President candidate, Yusuf Datti-Ahmed to apply caution because Nigeria is a country and not the Baze University.
"We have come to INEC to affirm that elections were conducted and APC, PDP, NNPP, LP and other political parties went into the contest.
"Some people have been going round the country inciting other people, calling for a taboo, they are calling for an Interim National Government. That will never happen, not in Nigeria, not in any African country that we support.
"America is currently handling insurrection against her own state, so we are certain that America, the United Kingdom and other nations will not promote insurrection in our nation, Nigeria.
"We want to tell you (INEC) that people have their rights to protest, whosoever they are, they are citizens with such rights, but they do not have the rights to provoke the voters. It is a taboo for anybody under any influence of alcohol or any other substance to rise up and call for an Interim Government in this nation when we still have the INEC intact.
"Elections were conducted by Nigerians, and these Nigerians include so many young people, citizens of Nigeria and not citizens of Russia, Dubai or any other country. It was conducted peacefully, some people won while some others lost.
"I want to reaffirm that Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima's ticket scored the highest votes as informed to everyone at the National Collation Centre. The votes were counted in Eight millions plus, and he was declared winner, having won about 29 states.
"Our message is very clear. This is one indivisible country and it benefits nobody that the country goes into flames. We have said that elections have been won and lost. On this presidential election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu won clearly.
"He (Tinubu) has called for healing and because he has called for healing we as Natives, people who voted for him have listened to his message, that is why we are here waving our white handkerchiefs which signifies healing. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is already preparing for May 29th handing over ceremony and because we are all brothers and sisters we know and believe that we can all work together to change our country.
"As far as we are concerned, we are asking the aggrieved people to leave INEC out of their frustration. They lost election and they should be good losers, or go to court if they cannot handle it and wait for the Supreme Court. Do not intimidate the CJN, don't intimidate the security forces and stop threatening democracy."
Responding while receiving a prepared letter addressed to the INEC chairman, the Commission's Director of Security, Lebari Sam Nduh, assured that INEC will continue to do its constitutional roles without bias of favour.
Nduh said: "We want to thank you for being very responsible in your protest. We want to thank you for bearing in mind that we have no other country to call our own than this country. We want to thank you for the civil manner you have conducted yourself. We want to assure you, on behalf of the management of INEC that your message will be delivered to the Chairman. It is not going to pass through any other source than the Director of Security himself who will personally take it and deliver it to the Honourable Chairman who is my direct boss.
"I assure you that INEC will continue to do its optimum best, all what the law asks it to do, and that Nigeria will be greater," he said.
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