Anglican Synod urges NASS to amend law to remove uncertainty in governance
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Legitimacy issues currently hanging over Bola Tinubu as President would not have arisen if the National Assembly (NASS) had mandated in the Electoral Act 2022 the conclusion of court disputes before the swearing in of election winners.
This consensus of legal minds and thought leaders to improve democracy in Nigeria has been given weight by the Anglican Church which has urged the 10th NASS to amend the Constitution to ensure election disputes are resolved before a winner is inaugurated.
The church said this would allow the winner to concentrate on the job of governance without distractions.
The position of the church is contained in a communiqué issued at the 3rd Session of the 18th Synod of the Diocese of Enugu, Anglican Communion, held in Enugu.
The Synod also
- Criticised the sudden removal of fuel subsidy without palliatives which has increased hardship countrywide.
- Implored Tinubu to direct immediate measures to alleviate the suffering of citizens.
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Synod criticises INEC’s failure to upload election results live
- Criticised the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to keep to its promise of free, fair and credible elections, particularly its promise to upload live on its IREV portal the polling unit results of the presidential ballot in February, per reporting by Vanguard.
- Expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the INEC portraying it as partisan in the ongoing election petition cases and urged the Commission to immediately retrace its steps.
- Called for the strengthening of the INEC by making it truly independent by ensuring the appointment of credible persons as Chairman and Commissioners.
- Expressed dismayed at the erosion of confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary and urged the judiciary to use the current election tribunals to regain peoples’ confidence by dispensing justice without fear or favour.
- Welcomed the recent appointment of service chiefs by Tinubu for its reflection of the federal character principle, particularly the appointment of a South Easterner as one of the service chiefs.
- Charged the new service chiefs to live up to the expectations of Nigerians.
The Synod noted insecurity has not abated despite the enormous resources deployed to fight it, condemned incessant attacks on the people of southern Kaduna and the Christian community in Plateau, and urged Tinubu to tackle the menace.