The Government of Italy has been advised to threaten to severe relationships with Nigeria should Bola Ahmed Tinubu be sworn-in as president. Tinubu, candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner of the February 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) but many Nigerians have refused to accept the result.

Nigerians resident in Italy gave the advice during a protest rally to lend their voices in condemnation of the outcome of the general elections held in February and March, especially the presidential ballot.

At the end of the protest rally which took place earlier in the week at Piazza Dell’Esquilino Rome, the group issued a position paper signed by Paul Okoye (convener), Fidel Wilson (secretary) and Alex Ojinkeya (coordinator).

Part of the position paper reads: “Never, in our 62 years of nationhood, has our dear country Nigeria witnessed the level of hardship, criminality, crises, ethnic rivalries, religious conflicts, nepotism, and state-sponsored terrorism that characterized the out-going government of President Muhammadu Buhari. Under this government, life has become short and brutish for the ordinary, as in the Hobbesian era. Reason many prefer to drown in the Mediterranean Sea than to continue to live in Nigeria.

“Nigerians have lost faith in our dearly beloved nation blessed with all the human and natural resources, including very precious and highly prized mineral ‘californium’ used all over the world to manufacture cellphones, blackbox of the aircraft and different items that are useful to man. In spite of all these, an average Nigerian survives on less than one euro per day, no thanks to the wanton corruption and blind looting of the economy of the supposed richest country in Africa. Yet, the fact that an estimated one-third of every black man on this mother earth is a Nigerian highlights the relevance of Nigeria is in the comity of nations

“While acknowledging the limits of foreign interference in another sovereign entity, we believe that the government of Italy occupies a vital position on the global plane as practitioners and custodians of true democracy. Consequently, therefore, we formally appeal to the Italian government under the leadership of Giorgia Meloni to:

“(a) condemn the February 25, 2023 presidential elections in Nigeria on the grounds of widespread irregularities that marred the outcome;

(b) mandate the Nigeria government to ensure that the judiciary concludes the adjudication process of the election petitions before the May 29, 2023 swearing-in date;

(c) threaten to severe relationships with Nigeria should Bola Ahmed Tinubu be sworn in as president.

“We affirm the above knowing that Italy is a major destination for desperate Nigerians who defy every threat on their path to Italy through the scorching deserts and the billowing seas. For decades this debate of the landing of immigrants at Lampedusa had been ongoing and a major concern for the Italian community. This situation offers a major opportunity to solve this problem definitely. The hard choice to make is the enthronement of functional democracy in Africa starting with Nigeria. The options are open to take the part of nobility and do what is right or fold our hands and remain spectators. This means that Italy would continue to bear the brunt of mass emigrations from a beleaguered Nigeria.

“The time to act is now! The world cannot afford to watch Nigeria drift to a point of no return. All hands must be on deck to leave a bequeathing legacy for the succeeding generation and, more especially, to avert the looming danger and catastrophe.”

Other Nigerians who played pivotal roles in the rally include: Dr Prince Alum, Juliet Udunna, Princess Eloson Nwamah, Faraday Ebose, Ehis Omogiate, Patience Ewerioba, Vincent Ihesinulo, Philip Osagie, Richard Adebambo and Kings Okpara.