Opinion: May 29, 2023 is sacrosanct, by Kola Amzat

The Nigerian presidential election has come and gone with Asiwaju Tinubu declared as President-Elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling 8.794 million (36.61%) in 28 states defeating his closest rivals, Atiku Abubakar with 6.984 million (29.07%) in 21 states and Peter Obi with 6.101 million (25.40%) in 17 states.

While Tinubu met constitutional requirement of 25% in more than 24 states including FCT, Abuja and also with simple majority of the votes cast, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi fell short of the provisions of constitution requirements with their 25% achievement only in 21 and 17 states respectively.    

Following the declaration of the winner by INEC, congratulatory messages have continued to pour in like torrents from world leaders, notably The President of United States of America, Joe Biden, Prime Minister, the Great Britain, Rishi Sunak, President of France, Emmanuel Macron. Other global leaders who have taken their turns to congratulate the President-Elect are those of China, Japan, and India.

Not to forget the leaders of governments in Africa that have sent congratulatory messages in persons of Presidents of South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Niger Republic, Benin Republic, Angola and many others.

Within the country, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Saa’d Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwuyi, Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero are amongst the highly revered Nigerians and very eminent royal fathers who have turned in their congratulatory messages, wishing the President-Elect sound health, as well as prosperous & successful tenure of office.      

Consequent upon the above development, the expectant nation therefore patently await May 29, 2023, the date when the winner, Asiwaju Tinubu would be sworn in as President, C-in-C of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Although, there have been pockets of protests at the National Assembly Complex deliberately sponsored by the defeated opposition parties against the impending swearing ceremony, nonetheless, President Buhari has affirmed his avowed commitment to hand over to a new government to be headed by Bola Tinubu comes May 29 and thereafter, finds his way back to Daura, his home town to commence a long period of deserve rest.

Also, the president has sternly warned all the agents of darkness, as well as remnant members of the group who collaborated with the then military government to truncate the nation democratic governance in 1993 to desist forthwith from harassing INEC, as well as sending wrong signals to the international community that the election wasn’t free and fair, thereby subjecting the Nigerian democracy to scorn and ridicule of the global community.

The president advised them to proceed to election tribunal and law courts if they’re convinced that they have genuine cases against the general conduct of the election, as well as the declaration of the results by INEC.  

This writer note with regret and lamentation how Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, an ex-VP and Peter Obi, a 2-term former governor of Anambra state could subject themselves to the whims & caprices of their very exuberant and myopic political adherents, that the next line of action is for their groups to be protesting on the streets of FCT, Abuja, as well as within the prescient of the national assembly that the presidential election must be cancelled. 

Who does that and get away unscratched? The two leaders ought to have known better having in the past operated at the very topmost level of governance both at the federal and state levels!

They ought to have known that their continuous negative pronouncements and utterances on the already concluded elections, as well as tacit approval given to their supporters to be constituting nuisance to the residents of Abuja under the guise of protests is synonymous to inciting good people of this country against the federal government and INEC and could ultimately precipitate violence, anarchy and pandemonium across the land.   

This is therefore a clarion call to political class, leaders of thoughts and our royal fathers across the country of the need to call Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as their supporters to order to desist forthwith in stoking the embers of violence and confusion in the land, as well as the need for them to join the Federal Government in swearing in a new democratically elected government comes May 29, 2023.  

This is not to say that they don’t have any case. They should wait for the election Tribunal and other Law Courts to adjudicate on the matter. This is the only path of honor for them to take. Any other path is tantamount to inviting anarchy onto the corporate existence of the country.                           

Kola AMZAT (FCA)

LAGOS BASED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT,

09077509348

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