Dr Simon Okeke, a prominent politician from Southeast Nigeria, has called on President Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to delay the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Okeke said there should be no inauguration until the Supreme Court has given its final verdict on the disputed February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The southeast elder statesman argued that inaugurating Tinubu prematurely would be like preempting the winner of the polls before the court has given its final judgment.
Okeke, joined other notable Nigerians in calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to halt the inauguration of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on May 29 until the Supreme Court has given its final verdict on who actually won the election.
Okeke, former chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), said this on Saturday, May 6, during a press conference in his country home, Amici, Nnewi South local government area Anambra state.
Okeke called on President Buhari not to allow Tinubu to be sworn in until Supreme Court gives its verdict on the 2023 presidential election.
He was quoted as arguing that swearing in Tinubu into office as the president of the country is like preempting the winner of the presidential polls before the court gives its final judgement.
His words:
"Following the controversial February 25 presidential and national assembly elections, and consequent unprecedented tension and criticism that trailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcement of presidential election results, the country's judiciary is today on trial.
"Since INEC failed to meet most of its set guidelines, including the failure to transmit results as promised, from the polling units to INEC's central server, the announced presidential results have been challenged by five major political parties in Nigeria - including Labour Party, the People's Democratic Party, and others.
"We, therefore, call on the country's judiciary to consider the general aspiration of millions of Nigerians, as well as the corporate existence of Nigeria, in handling the electoral petitions in order to avoid a miscarriage of justice that may precipitate a serious crisis in the country.
"Since the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended allows anyone that is aggrieved to go on appeal from the Tribunal to the Supreme Court to determine the true winner, it means that no one should be sworn-in as the winner before the apex court pronounces who, in its opinion, is the true winner of the election.
"Common sense requires that until the apex court pronounces who the winner is, the election is only midway and not yet over.
Consequently, swearing in anyone as the winner of the election is premature and nothing more than announcing the result of a match in the middle of a game.
"We, therefore, call on the president of the federal republic of Nigeria to swear in only the person adjudged by the apex court to be the winner of the election. To swear in anyone when the case is still pending in court is to prejudice the view of the apex court or urging the court to confirm whoever is prematurely sworn in.
To swear in anyone before the verdict of the apex court is indirectly urging that the court should confirm the candidate is already sworn in.
"This situation is like a case in a football match - if during a match, one side strikes a ball to the goal area of an opponent, and there is a dispute as to whether or not a goal has been scored, it is only the referee that can decide whether or not it is a goal. No side will make a claim until a referee has given his decision.
"This is the situation Nigeria has found itself in as regards the disputed presidential election as to who is the true winner - Tinubu, Atiku or Obi. Until the referee, in this case - the Supreme Court, gives its verdict, no one should be sworn in. To swear in anyone as president before the apex court gives its ruling is to defeat the spirit of the game, and to cause confusion, both in the judiciary and the general public. Such a situation should, therefore, be avoided in a fragile system such as ours.
Therefore, let the court complete its job so that all should know who the true winner is, and such be sworn in as the authentic president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
0 Comments