Catholic Bishops tell judiciary, all eyes now on you to restore confidence in Nigeria’s democracy
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
All eyes are now on the courts to ensure justice and restore confidence in democracy in Nigeria by providing remedy to the glaring irregularities in the 2023 election, Catholic Bishops have reiterated.
The Bishops of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province at their meeting in Umuahi expressed disappointment over the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to deliver on its promise of a credible vote.
A communiqué issued after the meeting urged the judiciary to redeem the anomalies in the interest of Nigeria’s democracy.
“The hope, at the moment, is that the judiciary will rise up to the challenge and rescue our ailing democratic experiment”, the communique said.
“Many people had trusted the repeated assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver a credible electoral process, namely, to come up with an impartial standard for screening candidates, to organise the logistics for conducting free and fair elections, to transmit voting results electronically from polling stations in real-time, to eliminate cases of ballot stuffing and vote stealing, etc.
“Sadly, the electoral process was riddled with irregularities. INEC and some of the political actors dashed the hopes of our people.
“Consequently, the results of the last elections can hardly be considered as reflecting the overall will of the people, and are still being contested. And this continues to darken the cloud of uncertainty and tension that has enveloped the nation.”
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Impact of fuel subsidy removal
The clerics also expressed concern over the biting effects of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians and challenged Abuja to rise to the occasion, per reporting by Vanguard.
“The ugly sight of our people toiling under excruciating economic conditions is not only frightening but heartbreaking.
“Though the federal government has announced a series of ‘palliative’ measures to mitigate the impact of these policies, many Nigerians are still not feeling any relief from their worsening situation.”
Social and economic disruption in the South East
“We can no longer close our eyes to the indiscriminate sit-at-home orders in the South East that have so far disrupted lives, paralysing economic, educational and commercial activities.
“In the past, we had called on our people to sheathe their swords and come together to agree on the way forward for our region.
“We want to repeat this appeal again with more urgency.
“The resort to violence can never be condoned, nor can it be expected to bring any lasting solution to the needs of our people. The South East is extolled as the commercial hub of the nation.
“Unfortunately, traders in the region today are compelled to stay at home on Mondays, usually the busiest day of the week and the most productive for some.
“Events like traditional weddings, new yam festivals, funerals, Christmas and Easter celebrations, when our brothers and sisters from the diaspora usually return home to be with their loved one, are now being boycotted, with people prioritising their security.
“The damage to our local economies, and to the culture and mental health of our people, can never be fully quantified.”
Hanging on to hope
The Bishops appealed to Nigerians not to give up but to keep hope alive for a better future.
“As your spiritual leaders, we still call upon all the good-willed and patriotic citizens of Nigeria to continue to work for the common good of all Nigerians on that same note of equity, justice and peace.
“With a critical mass of caring and concerned citizens, we can overcome our present pains and liabilities, and move Nigeria forward to a better and healthier nation than it presently is.
“We urge all Nigerians, in their various callings and positions, to uphold the banner of integrity and good action for a new Nigeria.”
