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General News of Tuesday, 7 March 2023

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Be calm, seek redress if aggrieved - Group advises candidates

Elections Elections

Nigerians have been advised to stay calm and not take the laws into their hands over the outcomes of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

A non-governmental organisation, I Am Change, which gave the advice, said the electoral process were largely peaceful.

A statement by its founder, Hafsatu Shinkafi advised those who won to be magnanimous in victory.

She told those who lost to accept their fate and support the winners to build the country.

According to Shinfaki: “The long awaited Nigerian Presidential Election conducted on the 25th February 2023 has come to an end. As with all electoral, and indeed every political and democratic process, this election has ushered in varied perspectives, opinions and dispositions among Nigerians.

“You may recall that I Am Change had organized a pre-election conference entitled 2023 Elections: Citizens’ Pre-Election Awareness and the Role of Stakeholders in Post-Election Stability on 26th January 2023, where major stakeholders, including INEC, Civil Society, Judiciary, the Media, Politicians and Security experts discussed extensively, the preparations, sociopolitical atmosphere and post-election issues.

“From the discussions at the conference, it’s widely agreed that INEC was sufficiently prepared for the elections, while the security agencies did not shy away from indicating their readiness to protect Nigerians during and after the elections.

“As pointed out by legal experts, it was very likely that electoral results would end up being debated in the court rooms, making the judiciary the final arbiters in the whole process.

“The electoral processes were largely peaceful, thanks to the gallant security agencies, despite a number of protests that followed the announcement of the results.”

She applauded the conduct of aggrieved politicians for showing their intention to seek redress at the courts instead resorting to violence.

She said: “This is equally commendable in a democracy. The news that the winning party has sought the cooperation of the opposition parties in an attempt to form a government of national unity and give the country a common political cause is deeply thoughtful and an important step towards healing the wounds, advancing national cohesion and promoting political progress of the country.

“Given the charged political situation, we deem it fit to call on all Nigerians to exercise restraint and stay calm, and all aggrieved politicians to approach the courts and not take the laws into their hands.

“The judicial system, empowered by the 2022 Electoral Act is well positioned to ensure justice and fairness to all Nigerians.

“We call on the judiciary to not compromise the system and to allow the law to take its natural course.”



FI