Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: A Foreign Election Interference and Rigging Mercenary That Should Be A Concern To All

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: A Foreign Election Interference and Rigging Mercenary That Should Be A Concern To All A few days ago...

Tony Blair Institute for Global Change: A Foreign Election Interference and Rigging Mercenary That Should Be A Concern To All

A few days ago, one Audu Bulama Bukarti with official job title of "a research fellow", but a real job description as "a spy agent", published an article ostensibly written by him and titled: "Democracy Under Threat: Why the Security Risks to Nigeria’s 2023 Elections Must Not Be Overlooked."

As a freelance journalist and an indigenous person of Biafra, I usually do not join issues with lightweight writers parading as Research Fellows. Especially one working for a dishonest, dishonorable and dignity-lacking individual as Tony Blair, a former British Prime Minister. Save for the simple reason that lies "if allowed to go unchallenged" risks being accepted as the truth. A worker of an institute setup for pushing distorted narratives by a war criminal like Tony Blair, in the company of American President George Bush who invaded Iraq with a bogus claim of “weapon of mass destruction(WMD)” in the possession of Saddam Hussein, that has not been proven till date, a Tony Blair that misses the wicked old days of his ancestors perpetration of slavery and colonialism, and who as British Prime Minister presided over a government that encroached in other hemispheres (engaging in disruptive foreign policies) , cannot be trusted to set up an institute that will work for the common good of all people.

For proper perspective, journalism is the activity of writing for publishing or preparing news for broadcasting. However, it is not enough to define journalism without pointing out the importance of ethical journalism whose cardinal point is “truth and accuracy”. Now, the borderline between ethical and unethical journalism can be thin or compounded by the journalist because, in actual sense, the journalist is as well a human being, and the challenge with humans is that they very much resemble nuclear materials. Nuclear materials have dual usage. And regrettably, that usability is the common denominator humans share with nuclear materials; both can to be used for good or evil.

In every democratic election, journalism plays indispensable and important roles, including; factually informing listeners, readers and viewers. But, it is a doom for any society when a journalistic material they consume is an opinion being masqueraded as news, and intended for grifting, gaslighting and blackmail.

It is a report like the Tony Blair Institute’s that solidifies the conviction that Nigerian government is getting help from external forces. Any report that failed a simple test of starting the narration from the beginning, did not make an error of oversight; its failure is derivable from a deliberate and calculated intent at optimally using “controlled opposition” and deepening “cognitive manipulation.” The report is a subtle approval of the genocide going on in Old Eastern Region of Nigeria(Biafra), which has official government stamp.

Reading the report in its entirety, the two objectives sandwiched in-between became clearer to a critical thinker: continue to demonize the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB} as a terrorist organization, because they are asking for a referendum to decide where to belong, and presenting Mr. Peter Obi’s stronghold(Eastern Nigeria) as a terrorism and kidnapping hotspot. Such a disinformation and misinformating narrative plays into the hands of Nigeria government who sees it as a rigging gift. It is, therefore, only normal that a pushback be made to properly inform Nigerians and guide them to ask Tony Blair Institute for Global Change 'why they are helping Nigeria government rig the 2023 election'?

There are two(2) core areas of interest addressed in the report as the rest is a collection of newspaper headlines or rehash to be dumped into the academic dustbin of history. But below is an attempt at setting the record straight:

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is not a secessionist group as deceptively stated by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Rather, a self-determination movement asking for referendum to determine the fate of Biafrans in Nigeria. IPOB is a non-violent movement whose members have suffered extrajudicial killings from government forces for coming out to peacefully protest across several cities in Eastern Nigeria(Biafra). So far, no member of IPOB has been convicted by any court of competent jurisdiction. Rather, there has been a plethora of cases won and compensatory damages granted in their favor against the government. Even International Organizations such as the United Nations Working Group on Human Rights Violations has given an opinion in favor of the leader of IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. It is evidently impossible to think that a self proclaimed international institute like the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change will be unaware of all these. To prove the insincerity of the Fellows at the Tony Blair Institute, it mischaracterized the Eastern Security Network(ESN), as a militant group. ESN is a vigilante group, like the Omotekun in Western Nigeria(Oduduwa) or Hisbah in Northern Nigeria(Arewa), with a mandate to flush Fulani terrorists out of the Eastern forests.

 

For further clarity, any report that portrays the Fulani terorist herdsmen as the victims, is a report on the wrong side of history and the people behind such a report should be questioned for their mental state and motive. The Fulani terrorist herdsmen is the world’s fourth most dangerous terrorist group, according to United Nations Terrorism Index(UNTI). The formation of ESN has restored some degree of normalcy to the Eastern farmlands. Similarly, it is shameful to connect #EndSars protest to IPOB Movement. The two are parallel. In any case, the real story around #EndSars is the killing of innocent Nigerians waving Nigerian flag and the shameful role played by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing. Any attempt to spin it away must be resisted until the victims get justice.

The Projection of Eastern Nigeria as a Destabilized Zone

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Eastern Nigeria(Biafra) is the stronghold of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi. It is also the same region that IPOB is seeking referendum for, to determine whether they will remain in Nigeria or exit. Surprisingly, the candidacy of Peter Obi torpedoed the political calculus of Nigeria. So, the Fulani power brokers and their western friends are unsettled. Since Peter Obi is saleable with no corruption for government to capitalize and disqualify him, government is shopping for opportunities and is willing to commit crimes or abuse the law to achieve her inordinate ambition.

Since IPOB has no interest in Nigeria’s election(selection), but would use civil disobedience exercise, if need be, to boycott elections or show disapproval for the bitter treatment of Biafrans in Nigeria, the government of Nigeria has subtly encouraged criminality in a bid to heap blames on IPOB. On the other hand, it has refused to obey a court order that acquitted and discharged Nnamdi Kanu, knowing fully well that any refusal to obey court order would whip up sentiment and increase tension, since Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is loved by his people.

The objective is to use the love for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu as an excuse for the criminalities; crimes committed by government sponsored agents whose mandate is to destabilize Peter Obi’s voting bloc. This is the only way Peter Obi will be rigged out of the election and thereafter, the compromised media will all have the same banner headline titled: “IPOB’s Enforcement of Election Boycott Thwarts Peter Obi’s Ambition.” This will essential setup the people against IPOB and effectively kill the new Biafra Movement with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu becoming a pawn; weak and expendable.

That Tony Blair Institute for Global Change will be in approval of the above, tells you all you need to know about the people behind the so called Institute.

The Nigerian National bureau of statistics(NBS), under this President Buhari's administration, released a Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI) which shows that 63 percent of Nigerians (or 133 million people) are extremely poor. The same scorecard shows that about 50 million Nigerians are unemployed. These figures when compared with the 200 million population size, gives a scary outlook. This is not caused by IPOB or any group, but a direct consequence of government mismanagement, incompetence and poor policy formulation. Since the inception of Muhammadu Buhari administration from 2015 till date, terrorists and government security agents plus hunger have killed more Nigerians than any time in history. Amnesty International, InterSociety and other Human Rights organizations have documented abuses perpetrated by Mr. Buhari.

In conclusion, President Buhari's administration has refused to obey a court order acquitting and discharging Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. But the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change did not defend a British citizen ordered to be released by a competent court of jurisdiction - though many argue that his “person of color” status is a liability and is why the British government refused to offer help. Instead, it has chosen to help a dictator rig an election. The greatest threat to democracy is Human Rights abuses, Poverty and Disobedience to Court Order. And all the countries and organizations hobnobbing with African dictators are what the new Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, describe as the cesspool of human scum working to impoverish and destabilize African. Shameful!

Written by Chibueze Daniel

Edited by Ogah C S Maduabuchi

For Family Writers Press International