Igbo leaders canvass for court judgment to buttress the rule of law
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
South East leaders of thought in the Igbo Patriotic Forum (IPF) have urged President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the courts give their final ruling on presidential election petitions before anyone is sworn in as the next President.
IPF Chairman Simon Okeke likened the current situation to a football match in which “the true winner is not determined until the referee blows the final whistle.”
The call came amid the court battle between the presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu; Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; and Labour Party, Peter Obi; over the result of the presidential vote on February 25.
Obi and Atiku are challenging Tinubu’s victory at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), alleging widespread irregularities and rigging in the poll conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Okeke argued that “since the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) allows anyone aggrieved after the announcement by INEC of the general election result to go on appeal from the tribunal to the Supreme court to determine the final winner of the election, it stands to reason that no one should be sworn in as the winner before the apex court pronounces who, in its opinion, is the true winner of that election.”
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Emphasis on the rule of law
In Okeke’s view, this is not a matter for haste or impatience but for the rule of law to take its course, via reporting by Vanguard.
“In a football match, the true winner is not determined until the referee blows the final whistle.
“We should allow the court to complete its work so that we can know who the true winner of the election is. Once that is done, the winner should be sworn in as the next President of Nigeria.”
Igbo Elders Consultative Forum (IECF) Secretary Charles Nwekeaku, a professor, explained the IPF is a group of prominent Igbo leaders actively involved in national political process, promoting Nigeria’s unity and advocating for the rights of the Igbo people.
Nwekeaku implored all Nigerians to remain calm and law-abiding while the courts complete their work on the presidential election petitions.
