Cardinal Onaiyekan, during the Sunrise Daiily with Channels TV, is against the statement by one of the program Presenters. The Presenter stated, “…the election has come and gone”.
In response to the statement, Onaiyekan asked, Is the election over?
According to the electoral law, the elections are not over until it is over.
His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan
However, there are cases in court that have not been disposed of. We have declared President-Elect whose election is being challenged, and the courts are handling it.
I’m entitled to take a position, waiting for the court to say who won the election. It doesn’t make much sense to swear in people when they are still in court. This has happened with Governors, but the outcome has not been in the best of all cases.
Onaiyekan
There is a need to review all the electoral processes. to ensure we have a winner who will be sworn in and everybody will rally around.
It’s rather taking so long for the court to make up its mind. The whole system of our election needs to be properly reviewed. To ease and allow winners to emerge according to the wishes of the people.
Democracy or Autocracy in Nigeria – Cardinal Onaiyekan?
Basic Question?
Do we really want Democracy?
Many of the Political Actors do not want democracy – they want Power by all means.
For 30 years, people who held guns (Military) ruled Nigeria. They forced us to obey. Then we agreed we want democracy.
Since we decided we don’t want people carrying guns t rule, I don’t think we should accept people who can just manipulate the system and frustrate the wishes of the people. Because They have the resources.
Credit: Channels TV
We need to look more carefully. The constitution of INEC – how independent is it to come out with the wishes of the people.
Moreover, past elections have shown that we have issues with INEC independence.
As a nation, if we decide to rule ourselves democratically, we must accept the rule of democracy. Those wanting to be in Power should allow the rule to run.
According to the Presenter, this is the first time in Nigeria that the President-Elect did not get up to the 50% of all the total votes cast. The other two runners-up candidates have enough to counter. The first time a good number of states’ governors didn’t win an election in their states and couldn’t make it to the National Assembly.
Opinion of His Eminence on the TV Presenter’s View:
- We should not be congratulating ourselves when the right things happen.
- We should not be expecting that we shall continue to run rigged elections.
- To say we have done very well that some Governors lost the elections – it’s normal if they don’t deserve to win.
- The people have decided they can no longer accept things being done badly.
- Our country is not moving forward because we are not doing things rightly.
- Adviseable we vote with our National Identity Card to avert the problem of PVC.
- Cardinal advocates for the timeframe of electoral petition limit before the swearing-in.
- Only the Nigerians without sincerity will be looking for agenda. Our Country is not doing well.
- When Buhari took over eight years ago, he promised to face corruption, fix the economy, provides security.
I’m 80 years old, and I still dream of witnessing a better Nigeria before I go to paradise.
