A civil society organisation (CSO), the Diaspora Action for Democracy in Africa (DADA), has advised the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal against giving any verdict that will set the country on fire.
The tribunal had reserved judgement on the petitions by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the last general election.
Great Jonathan, DADA’s spokesperson, while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, said the country’s judiciary has the powers to avert an implosion.
“The judiciary is the only institution that has all that it takes to save this country from the threat of implosion,” Jonathan said.
“All eyes have been on the judiciary because of Nigeria’s respect for the law. It does not mean that the members of the presidential election tribunal are in a better position in this case to tell Nigerians the person who won the presidential election.
“Nigerians do not wait for any court to tell them the winner of any election. It is the electorate that should tell the court so because they know more than the court whom they voted to be their president.
“But since it is the prerogative of the court to ensure that truth and justice prevail each time they are disputed, to make room for peace and harmony, the court has been given enough evidence to prove the real winner of the 2023 presidential election.
“Arising from our discussions with a wide array of Nigerians is the fear that the judiciary needs to be cautious because if their verdict fails to satisfy the requirements of justice it may detonate the youths’ simmering anger and set the country ablaze.”
