BENJAMIN OMOIKE
The Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, on Thursday said that it does not make sense to be swearing in people when there are issues to be settled in court.
Onaiyekan made the statement when he played host on Channels Television programme, Sunrise Daily.
The president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to be sworn in as president on May 29.
Speaking on fairness, Onaiyekan said: “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,” he said.
“I’m 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.”
Recall, that the presidential election tribunal had fixed May 8 for the hearing of the petitions.
Meanwhile, in a swift reaction to the cleric’s comments, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has taken a swipe at the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Catholic Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, over his comment decrying the delay by the election tribunal to decide on the petition filed against the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
The cleric, who was on Channels Television on Thursday morning, had said swearing in Tinubu before the tribunal delivers verdict on the petitions makes no sense.
Reacting, a chieftain of the ruling APC and Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo, condemned the assertion of the clergy, saying the “embarrassment to the Body of Christ is getting too much”.
In a statement on his verified Twitter handle, the Minister said, “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 whilst 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”?
