Barely three days to the 2023 general elections, a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani has urged Nigerians not to allow judges to decide who rules Nigeria by not accepting the results of the presidential election as he believes people will dispute the results.
Nnamani, who also explained the importance of the electoral process, stressed that the 2023 general elections will be challenging in the area of results therefore called on groups to speak the truth and lead with recommendations for a successful election.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the National Coalition for Peace and Unity as the national chairman of the group on Tuesday, in Abuja, the former Senate president explained that “we are going into a pivotal electoral process and the challenge will result in the election. A group like this should be in the position to speak up and lead with recommendations.
“I know people will dispute the results but there should be people that should advise that we should not allow two, three, five judges to determine who rules us, we should obey the outcome of the ballot box.
The group comprising its Secretary-General, Cairo Ojougboh and a former Anambra state governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, among others noted that it is important to proffer solutions for the peace of the country.
The former senate president pointed out that “We are now learning how to utilise our money. Anything that is happening now might be sounding very drastic but I see green light at the end of the tunnel. If we can endure through this period and get it right, we stand to benefit a lot without being violent. The benefit will definitely outweigh the hardship.
“I appeal to people that we don’t have any other country. In Nigeria, the situation we are going through now, I think in the end it will play out well. Nigeria is so blessed, our natural endowment is not in question, not many countries have close to what we have but the challenge is what we make out of it. I support the concept of a group that can afford to speak truth to others,” he said
Convener of the group and Secretary-General, Cairo Ojugboh who wanted elders and leaders to begin to look at what is going to happen during the general election, the pre-election, during and post-election stated that they leaders have decided to gather to make sure that the youths are educated on who the participants in these coming elections are.
“Leaders must advise them not to excite their followers. If leaders behave like former president Jonathan behaved, where results had not even been announced and he threw in the towel, that was exceptional and after that election there was no crisis. If he had contested that result, the crisis would have started immediately but he was exemplary and that is the situation we expect.
He further remarked “When this election is taking place, leaders must be able to speak with their followers, the youths must be made to understand that what you see on the social media might not be actually what it should be or what will be. After the election we must tell leaders and their followers that if you do not have peace, if there is a problem. If you are a governor, you will not be able to govern. So, the need for peace is sine qua non to the existence of the country.
On his part Ezeife, harped on the need to have peace saying that whether Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa by accident, it was no choice of theirs. It is the same story for all and only God decides what the people are, so, there is no basis for violence and acrimony.
He maintained that “There is no need for any preaching for us to understand that we are in a make-or-break situation in our country. The topic peace and unity has been touching us, even when things were not as bad as this. The old should be apologetic for ruining this country for our children.
Continuing he stressed that “Nigeria is our home, let us amend whatever is to be amended. Don’t mistake restructuring for resource allocation, some people in the north are saying if there is restructuring, there will be no oil money to be shared. Political things have to be done politically and restructuring is what we need,” he said.
*(Courtesy, excluding headline, PUNCH)
