By Uche Amunike
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Honorable Onofiok Luke, has made an appeal to Labour Party candidate in the presidential election of February 25, 2023, Peter Obi and his PDP counterpart, Atiku Abubakar as well as every Nigerian, to give the Nigerian President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, their unalloyed support on May 29 so that his swearing-in will take place successfully, while the country waits for the final ruling of the courts.
Speaking to journalists, Monday, the lawmaker urged that supporting the president-elect would help in the healing process in the country, seeing that it was divided along ethnic, political and religious lines presently and advised political actors to watch their post-election comments as they will only end up heating up the polity more.
‘Hear him: ‘I have confidence in the judiciary. We don’t seem to be in sync with the feeling of Nigerians. There’s angst in the heart of Nigerians for a whole lot of reasons and that angst is what you saw them express in the last election. And now that the election has moved to the tribunal, the eyes of Nigerians are on the judicial officers. So, we must be careful in the way we act. For us to call a spade a spade and to deliver a judgement that is according to law and I believe that the judicial officers would do the same.’
‘However be it, a winner has emerged and cases are in court. Let us allow the law and constitution to take its course. Let us now turn our energy to the courts and allow the government. I am part of the people that are kicking against the interim government. It will not portend any good for us. Let the president-elect be sworn in and to start his administration and let the courts do justice. Whatsoever the outcome, we have to begin a healing process. This country has been divided.’
‘The post-election comments of some political actors are not helping the healing of this country on all sides. We must minimize such comments. They are very inciting and those comments are sometimes very hurtful and they lack decency. I wonder what they would tell their children about the kind of political communications they come on radio and TV to spew. It does not encourage growth. Let us rally around the president. Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the president-elect. I am an absolute believer in the will of God. It is the will of God that he has emerged. Let us rally around him and see how we can make the country move on and become better. And then, those who are pursuing cases in court, let us allow Atiku, Kwankwaso, Obi, Sowore and the rest to continue to pursue the election petitions at the court. But let us begin to put our hands together to move this country forward.’
Recall that Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and other candidates who felt aggrieved with the outcome of the election results, already filed different petitions at the election tribunal, questioning its outcome.
Hon Luke Onofiok represents Etinan/Nsit Ibom/ Nsit Ubium Federal constituency of Akwa Ibom state.
