The Federal Government Tuesday advised former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to truncate democracy in the country.
The government said in reaction to the ex-President who on Monday, asked the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Mahmood Yakubu to stop the ongoing collation and announcement of results.
Obasanjo in a letter titled, ‘An appeal for caution and rectification,’ released on Monday, alleged that some politicians had compromised electoral officials to make the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System machines redundant, adding that danger is lurking around the country over the alleged compromise of the electoral process.
But the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a response described the ex-president’s statement on the polls as inciting, self-serving and provocative.
Mohammed in a statement by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, said the former President’s call on Buhari to prevail on the INEC chairman to stop the collation process was nothing ‘’but a calculated attempt to undermine the electoral process.’’
The minister expressed shock and disbelief that a former President could throw around unverified claims and amplify wild allegations picked up from the street against the electoral process.
“Though masquerading as an unbiased and concerned elder statesman, former President Obasanjo is in reality a known partisan who is bent on thwarting by subterfuge the choice of millions of Nigerian voters,” he said.
Mohammed alleged that Obasanjo, in his time, “organised perhaps the worst election since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, hence he is the least qualified to advise a President whose determined effort to leave a legacy of free, fair, credible and transparent election is well acknowledged within and outside Nigeria.”
He added, ”As the whole nation waits with bated breath for the result of last Saturday’s national elections amid unnecessary tension created by professional complainants and political jesters, what is expected from a self-respecting elder statesman are words and actions that douse tension and serve as a soothing balm.
“Instead, former President Obasanjo used his unsolicited letter to insinuate, or perhaps wish for, an inconclusive election and a descent into anarchy; used his time to cast aspersions on electoral officials who are unable to defend themselves, while surreptitiously seeking to dress his personal choice in the garb of the people’s choice. This is duplicitous.”
Instead of calling for the cancellation of the election, the FG counseled those aggrieved by the election result to seek redress in the courts.
“With a deployment of over 1,265,227 electoral officials, the infusion of technology to enhance the electoral process and the logistical nightmare of sending election materials across our vast country, INEC seems to be availing itself creditably, going by the preliminary reports of the ECOWAS Electoral Observation Mission and the Commonwealth Observer Group, among other groups that observed the election.
“Therefore, those arrogating to themselves the power to cancel an election and unilaterally fix a date for a new one, ostensibly to ameliorate perceived electoral infractions should please exercise restraint and allow the official electoral body to conclude its duty by announcing the results of the 2023 national elections.
“After that, anyone who is aggrieved must follow the stipulated legal process put in place to adjudicate electoral disputes, instead of threatening fire and conjuring apocalypse,” the minister said.
Joining the fray, ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, (retd.) called on the President to ignore Obasanjo’s call for the suspension of the results collation exercise.
Akinrinade in a statement titled, ‘An interloping former President is a present danger to democracy,’ said, ‘’The recent statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo over the recently concluded elections must be condemned in the strongest terms by democracy loving Nigerians and those who care about the unity of this country.
“His statement coming at a time when the Independent National Electoral Commission was still busy with the conduct and release of the elections results is both unfortunate and a glaring and calculative attempt to game the system.
“Without any shred of evidence, a former President is challenging the integrity of a national election and calling on a sitting President to truncate it midway.
“As a General who fought for the unity of this country and one that has witnessed the many twists and turns of our democratic development, I am certain that Nigeria this time is on the right path.
“I find it most disturbing and objectionable that a former General and President will introduce such a diatribe into the body politic of Nigeria at such a delicate time as this.”
Akinrinade said Obasanjo was not neutral in the election, having endorsed the LP candidate, Peter Obi, noting that his intervention thus “falls short of patriotism and fits perfectly into meddling in the affairs of state that is already the constitutional responsibility of INEC.”
But about 30 Christian clerics under the aegis of Nigeria Christian Elders Coalition on Tuesday called on INEC to suspend the collation of the results of the presidential election to avoid another political logjam.
According to them, the country is being dragged to a worsening pariah status because of the deliberate failure of INEC to comply with its own regulation and the Electoral Act.
While calling on INEC to cancel the election to protect the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria, the organisation said INEC, by its conduct, had put the integrity of the results into disrepute.
“INEC has thus put the legitimacy of the 2023 presidential election results into terrible disrepute. We therefore call on INEC to suspend further action on the election results and then explain to Nigerians the circumstances for this grave violation of the electoral law and the administrative actions it intends to take to rectify this breach of integrity of the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“As Christian leaders, we would continue to pray for peace and unity in Nigeria and it is thus our prayer that INEC will immediately do the right thing by cancelling the presidential elections so as to protect the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria”, NCEC said.
The Senior Pastor of Family Worship Centre, Sarah Omakum, who spoke on behalf of the religious leaders during a press conference in Abuja, said INEC must avoid doing anything that would lead to a breakdown of law and order in the country.
NCEC comprises senior Christian clerics from all parts of the country including the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre in Abuja, Paul Enenche; former Chaplain of Aso Villa Chapel and General Overseer of All Christians Fellowship Mission, Maitama, Rev. Dr. William Okoye and President of Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi.
Others are the National Secretary of Nigeria Prays, Pastor Austin Kemie; Pastor Yemi Oyeniyi of Living Faith Church; Bishop David Abioye; Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam; Apostle Victor Uchegbulam; Prof. Vincent Anigbogu; Prophet Isa El-Buba, among others.
