2019 POLLS: Nigerians in South Africa reveal who they’ll vote with reasons
Nigeria Elections
Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, Nigerians residing in South Africa have vowed to vote for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The Nigerians under the umbrella of Southgerians, said they and other Nigerians across the globe are returning home to vote for Atiku on Saturday.
Director of Southgerians, John Metchie, who spoke to some journalists at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on arrival into the country, said no previous election in Nigeria had attracted the interest of the Nigerian Diaspora community like the coming Saturday election, especially that of the president.
He attributed it to the realities on ground which he described as pathetic and therefore unacceptable.
Metchie said the huge number of Nigerians returning home for the election was necessitated by their individual and collective concern for the hardship being faced by their relatives back home and the need to play their part in reversing the ugly trend through massive votes for Atiku.
He said: “I am just arriving. Just like many others as you can see.
My boss, Prof. Isa Odidi is on his way. Thousands of Nigerians are
coming home for the election, especially the presidential election.
Nigerians living abroad are virtually ashamed of what our dear nation
has turned to due to bad leadership. We agree that things were bad in
the past, but it has never gone this bad. The current government was
voted
into office to correct mistakes of the past. If you cannot correct the situation, then leave things the way they were.
“How do we explain that the Naira that exchanged one Dollar in 2014 is now
N360?
How do we explain the unemployment statistics coming from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with millions of Nigerians out of their jobs within the past four years? What explanation can one give over the worsening security situation as thousands of Nigerians are killed by Boko Haram, now government has added ISIS among the terror groups massing against our people.
What about the herdsmen?
Why have the herdsmen stopped killing people because election is by the corner? These are questions that are still unanswered.
“Look at how fragmented Nigeria has become. And those at the helms of affairs pretend that all is well. They carry on as if they are not hearing the cries of ethnic cleansing and economic deprivation against some sections of the country. What is the cause of the fragmentation of Nigeria? The answer is nepotism. You cannot treat some people like second class citizens in their own country of birth and expect things to continue as normal.”
Mitchie stated that Nigeria has thousands of competent hands who can rescue the country if given the opportunity, adding that there was no reason to settle for second eleven when the hands are there.
“There are thousands of Nigerians living at home, and others, abroad that have all it takes to govern Nigeria well. In a football match, can a good coach settle for second eleven when the first eleven is there?
“That is why we are back to vote Atiku and Peter Obi because they have the training, the skills and the competence to govern well. Atiku will reposition the Nigerian economy and bring prosperity to the people. Atiku and Peter are employers of labour with hundreds of thousands of Nigerians on their monthly payroll. These are broadminded gentlemen that would ensure equity and justice in the land which would unite the country,” he said.
