Fresh Japa syndrome hits Nigerians after Tinubu’s president-elect declaration, as thousands besiege Immigration for int’l passport
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A new wave of “Japa”, the notion of leaving Nigeria for another country, has hit Nigerians following the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
A visit to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) shows that thousands of Nigerians have besieged the institution for international passports and applied for to enable them leave the country as soon as possible after the 2023 general election.
Recently, an upsurge in the number of Nigerians laving or planning to leave the country has been observed.
The upsurge in “Japa” soared following the advent of the 2023 general election which saw violence unleashed on Nigerians who came out to vote.
As at the last count, twelve people were reportedly killed in Lagos State under the leadership of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on March 18 during the governorship election held in the state.
Scores were also reportedly killed in River State under the leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike.
Pockets of violence were reported in Kano State under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as across several other states nationwide.
Several hundreds were also injured and maimed during the exercise.
So far, both local and international observers have condemned the 2023 general elections.
A coalition, Citizens Observers Hub, declared the 2023 election the worst in the history of Nigeria at a press conference in Lagos on March 2.
The group enjoined international observers and foreign stakeholders to discountenance the result reeled out by INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, as fake and does not represent the wish of Nigeria’s electorate.
The European Union and sister international observers declared Nigeria’s 2023 general election a big flop despite claims by INEC on electoral reforms.
The International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) Joint Election Observation Mission (IEOM) discountenanced the Nigerian elections.
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While presenting their preliminary statement on the Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria in Abuja, the leader, Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, said:
“Despite large crowds in some polling stations and long waits, Nigerian voters demonstrated commitment to participate in the process and a strong desire to have their voices heard.”
The mission noted that despite the reforms to the Electoral Act 2022, “the election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations”, and that the electoral commission lacked transparency.
Banda noted that logistical challenges and multiple incidents of political violence overshadowed the electoral process and impeded a substantial number of voters from participating.
“Inadequate communication and lack of transparency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about their cause and extent created confusion and eroded voters’ trust in the process.
“The combined effect of these problems disenfranchised Nigerian voters in many areas, although the scope and scale is currently unknown,” the ex-President added.
Worse yet, the acclaimed winner of the presidential election, Bola Tinubu, was convicted for offences related to drug trafficking in the United States.
He is also a known sponsor of, in the words of the Lagos State Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, “government of the thugs, by the thugs & for the thugs”, banditry, criminality, hooliganism, state-backed terrorism, “agberocracy”.” Read more.
