The Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese, Cardinal John Onaiyekan has pointed out the implication of swearing-in the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29.
The clergyman stated this while featuring on a channels TV programme on Thursday.
According to him, those who rigged the February 25, 2023 presidential and governorship elections in Nigeria know what they did and God knows them.
Onaiyekan, who said the election is not over yet, revealed that Bola Tinubu and other winners of February 25 and March 18 elections and whose victories are under contention, should not be sworn-in in order to give room for a swift judicial process.
“The election is not yet over. There are cases in court that have not been disposed of. That is why we are in an anomalous situation; we have a declared President-elect whose result is being challenged, and the court is handling it.
“I am entitled to take the position that I am still waiting for the court to determine who won the election.
“I am one of those who have been saying that it does not make much sense to swear in people when they are still in court.
“We have to review the election process to ensure we have a winner who will be sworn in and everybody would rally around.
“I can’t understand; I am not a legal man or judge; it is a pity that it is taking too long for the Court to make up their mind on this matter,” he said.
KEYAMO TO CARDINAL ONAIYEKAN: Daddy, Stop This Embarrassment To The Body Of Christ
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.
DAILY POST reports that the clergy, 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”?
