Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Timi Frank, also a political activist, has condemned the recent elections in Tanzania, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast, saying they were “sham exercises” and “a disgrace to the African continent.”
Frank further described the elections as not real but “selections” marred by manipulation, intimidation, and political violence. He regretted that incumbent African leaders continue to impose themselves on their people instead of allowing democratic principles to take their course.
“These elections are a shame and a disgrace to Africa; in this 21st century, the continent should be advancing in democratic strides, yet what is witnessed instead is the rise in the culture of rigging, violence, and oppression,” Frank said.
He urged the international community, including the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, not to recognize the results of what he termed fraudulent elections. He also called for global action to protect democracy in Africa before the continent descends into chaos.
“If nothing is done, this systematic rigging may soon lead to widespread civil unrest and more coups across the continent,” he warned.
Frank, who is the Ambassador of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) to East Africa and the Middle East, wants the ICC to investigate and hold the leaders of the three countries liable over electoral violence and loss of lives during the polls.
He further appealed to the U.S. and EU to impose targeted sanctions on those he accused of destroying democracy in their countries.
Frank decried the greed and corruption among current African leaders, saying they have abandoned the ideals of the founding fathers of the continent who included Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Nelson Mandela, and Thomas Sankara.
“The Africa of today is not the one our heroes fought for. The dream of unity, one currency, and one passport has been replaced by selfishness and deceit,” he said.
Frank urged youths in Africa to be committed to defending democracy, while terming those who died during the process of protecting their votes as heroes.
He urged the international community to monitor events in Tanzania, where protests erupted over alleged electoral malpractice.
Shifting base in his speech to Nigeria, he cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission and the security agencies on the forthcoming 2027 general elections, warning them against any attempt to subvert the will of the people. “The 2027 election in Nigeria must not be business as usual; any attempt to manipulate the people’s mandate will be strongly resisted,” he warned.
