Snatch Ballot Boxes At The Risk Of Your Life — Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned potential troublemakers to stay away from snatching ballot boxes or any form of rigging on February 23.

At an emergency caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Monday morning, the president warned that anyone who foments trouble, especially by snatching ballot boxes, would be doing so at the “expense of his life”.

Buhari made the statement after reprimanding the Independent National Electoral Commission for postponing the general elections from February 16 to 23.

The president repeated that he gave INEC all necessary support to ensure a smooth exercise, but the electoral body still displayed “incompetence” and failed to let Nigerians go to the poll as originally scheduled.

“I want Nigerians to be respected, let them vote whoever they want across all the parties…,” he stated.

President Buhari added, “I will never use my powers to rig election. I don’t need to. I won’t disrespect Nigerians. We want a process that will allow Nigerians to choose freely. I have gone round the country, with what I saw, I have no reason to rig. INEC must behave responsibly and realize that they’re not the only stakeholders, the military and the police will be well mobilized to stamp out rigging and thuggery, any state or group of people who think they can disrupt this process will do so at the risk of their own lives… ”

Electoral chiefs have cited widespread logistics mishaps for the “painful” postponement, and promised everything would be in order before the new date of February 23 for presidential and federal parliamentary elections.

Statewide elections would now hold on March 9, from the initial March 2.

President Buhari also threatened consequences against INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, agreeing with the submission of party chairman Adams Oshiomhole that the electoral chief had compromised and was in purported collusion with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.