"Ignore Nigeria Govt, they all Are lairs, we Never Predicted Victory For Buhari In 2019" – US Institute Opens Up 

Contrary to some Nigerian media reports that the U.S. Institute of Peace has made a prediction about the possible outcome of Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, the USIP today distanced self from such statement.

In a clarification issued late on Tuesday night, USIP said it made no prediction at all about the outcome of the presidential election, but only presented the thoughts of the Nigerians it interviewed

USIP said in the statement. “USIP never makes predictions about election outcomes and has not done so in this case. The Institute’s work on elections is confined to helping nations avoid electoral violence.”

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) has denied widespread reports of predicting any victory for President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.

Aljazirahnews monitoring political development had cited few Nigerian newspapers reporting that: “Many Nigerians feel their hopes have not been met. Some respondents suggest the electorate is sufficiently disappointed that voter apathy will be greater in 2019 than it was in 2015, with the unifying narrative of change that helped elect the APC in 2015 much less compelling as a factor in mobilising the electorate, and perceptions that another defeat of the presidential incumbent is less likely to happen in 2019.”

However, in a clarification issued very late on Tuesday night, USIP said it made no prediction at all about the outcome of the presidential election, but only presented the thoughts of the Nigerians it interviewed.

“A few Nigerian newspapers reported erroneously this week that the U.S. Institute of Peace has made a prediction about the possible outcome of Nigeria’s 2019 presidential election,” it said in the statement.

“USIP never makes predictions about election outcomes and has not done so in this case. The Institute’s work on elections is confined to helping nations avoid electoral violence.

“The erroneous news accounts misrepresent USIP’s recent 20-page report on the risks to a peaceful 2019 election in Nigeria. This study is based on interviews across the country with more than 200 Nigerian respondents—election administrators, political party representatives, security officials, civil society and youth groups, the media, traditional and religious leaders, prominent community figures, business people, academics and others.

“The USIP report noted that, in the interviews, “some respondents” discussed their own views of Nigerian public perceptions about an election outcome. A Nigerian news account misreported this passage as a USIP prediction of the outcome, and other Nigerian news organizations repeated the error. As USIP is a strictly nonpartisan institution, its work on elections focuses entirely on preventing violence.”