Presidential poll: Inaugurating Tinubu before tribunal delivers verdict makes no sense – Onaiyekan
John Cardinal Onaiyekan, a prominent clergyman and former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, has criticised plans to inaugurate President-elect Bola Tinubu before the election tribunal‘s decision.
“it doesn’t make much sense”, Onaiyekan claimed.
The declaration of the APC candidate by INEC as winner of the Feb. 25 election is being challenged in court by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP). The presidential election tribunal has fixed May 8 for the hearing of the petitions.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, yesterday, Onaiyekan said the system of electioneering in the nation should be reviewed, noting that it would produce winners who don’t have the shadow of the court lurking behind their victory.
“There are cases in court that have not been disposed of. That is why we are in an anomalous situation. We have a President-elect whose election is being challenged and the court is handling it. I am still waiting for the court to tell me who won the election; it doesn’t make much sense to be swearing in people when they are still in court.
“I know it has happened with governors, but the outcome has really not been the best of all cases. I think we need to review our election process, so we do have a winner who will be sworn in and whom everybody would rally around.
“It is a pity that it is taking longer for the court to come to its decision. My problem is that the whole system of our election must be properly reviewed so that it would be easier for winners to emerge according to the wishes of the people. It is not right to have a system that is constantly contested. We should find out why is every election being contested.”
•You’re biased –Keyamo
But Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment and former chief spokesman for the Tinubu campaign council has accused the frontline cleric of bias.
In a tweet, the senior lawyer said the Cardinal was going against the president-elect because he was not his preferred candidate during the elections.
He tweeted: “Dear daddy Onaiyekan, you know we all respect you a lot, but your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike.
“A statesman who doubles as a Man of God should strive to be fair to all. You didn’t say the same thing when Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari were all sworn in as Presidents when their cases were still before the courts.
“You have chosen to single out this President- Elect @officialABAT this time around because the candidate you and your other religious brethren openly supported lost the election and you all feel humiliated and embarrassed. All issues raised against the victory of @officialABAT in court now (whether it is 25% votes in FCT or the fake drug issue, etc), are not different from issues raised against previous Presidents-elect because basically the complaints have always been that the declared victor did not win the election fair and square or was not qualified to contest the election. No disqualifying issue against a candidate can be greater than other disqualifying issues since a single issue can decide a case against a President-elect.
“So, why all the fuse now? It has always been our electoral template since 1999 for the declared winners to be sworn into office in order TO AVOID A VACUUM and not to foist an unconstitutional contraption on the system whist the cases are in court.
“My dear daddy, may I respectfully advise that going forward, you and your brethren may consider stepping back from the deep and murky waters of politics and desist from descending into the arena of political conflicts where your children in your congregations find themselves on different sides of political divides, so it would be unfair to them for you to openly take sides. The embarrassment to the Body of Christ is getting too much and no politician is worth dragging this dignified body into unnecessary political controversy. Is this too much to ask, daddy?