Washington DC — The Nigeria's Ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Ibidapo Adebowale Adefuye, has challenged a United States Diplomat and the country's former envoy to Nigeria, Mr. John Campbell to an open debate over his comments on the just concluded presidential election in Nigeria. The United States Diplomat, Ambassador John Campbell had at the weekend said that the Presidential election in Nigeria was rigged by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in favour of the Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

He had alleged that there was substantial election rigging, not so much at the polling stations where international observers were often present but at the collation centers where monitors were usually absent.

In his reaction, Adefuye told our Correspondent that the former United States Envoy was a dishonest man, stressing that he was up to his dirty game again.

He continued that a member of the Project Swift Count that John Campbell was trying to quote as evidence against the credibility of the presidential election was at the Atlantic Council of the United States last week Tuesday where he confirmed that the organisation awarded 96 percent success to the election.

He said, "This was the same Ambassador John Campbell who said it clearly that Nigeria was divided into Muslim-North, Christian-South and when I took it out on him, he agreed that he was wrong but he was unable to honour my invitation to a public debate over these issues on ground. I think the man has a way of manufacturing facts to discourage the country. He has an ulterior motive."

He added that Campbell's views did not represent that of the current American administration, stressing that he was now retired and also belonged to a small minority of observers of the Nigerian situation who are jocularly referred to as the pessimists.

The Nigeria's Ambassador to the United States further told LEADERSHIP that there were no irregularities that could threaten the integrity of the April 9 and 16 elections in the country, stressing that there had been no single international observer that has said anything negative on the credibility of both elections.
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He commended INEC for using direct data capturing machine and the National Youth Service Corps members as elections officials who, he said, contributed to make the elections successful.

Adefuye, a former Envoy to Jamaica and the United Kingdom noted that anybody who said that the elections were rigged was being unfair.

It would be recalled that another former United States envoy to Nigeria between 2000 and 2003, Ambassador Howard F. Jeter, had earlier said that the comments credited to John Campbell over Nigeria and the 2011 elections had seized the attention of dedicated Nigeria-watchers and evoked the wrath of Nigeria's official establishment.

Jeter stressed that Campbell's prognosis was both alarmist and sensational, and was not based on objective facts.


http://allafrica.com/stories/201104250484.html

Nigerians are holding their ground against dishonest US correspondents.


But ah ahn, the election was rigged tho.

he was now retired and also belonged to a small minority of observers of the Nigerian situation who are jocularly referred to as the pessimists.

Mr campbell should not disgrace him self he should honor the public debate and proof that the elections were rigged!!! If he doesn't the nigerian high commissioner should sue lying ass!!!

karl max:

he was now retired and also belonged to a small minority of observers of the Nigerian situation who are jocularly referred to as the pessimists.

Mr campbell should not disgrace him self he should honor the public debate and proof that the elections were rigged!!! If he doesn't the nigerian high commissioner should sue lying backside!!!

Ehm ehm.Are you trying to insinuate that the election was not rigged?