Former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lokoja branch, Barrister Williams Aliwo, has said the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari has shown that Nigerians have learnt to place premium on integrity of their leaders.
Aliwo who stated this in Lokoja on Monday while interacting with newsmen averred that President Buhari’s victory at the polls showed that Nigerians appreciated his integrity, trust and the candour of his anti-corruption efforts, noting that there were a lot of lessons for the nation to learn from the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
According to him: “Nigerians are beginning to lay emphasis on integrity and trust-worthiness. We have learnt that one thing from President Muhammadu Buhari’s candidature and re-election.
“That means we are beginning to understand that anything short of having good character and trust-worthiness will not give you position of trust.
“As human beings, we must continue to learn lessons at every junction of our lives. As a community, as a country and as a nation, we are also learning from this”
The former NBA Chairman described the successful conduct of the election and the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari as a major landmark in the political history of the country.
He maintained that the elections were conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral laws and Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) guidelines, the skirmishes notwithstanding.
The legal practitioner said: “We thank God it is a major landmark in our political history.
“I know that there were issues here and there but the important thing is that the anxiety and apprehension surrounding conduct of the elections have come and gone. “It was a major milestone.”
On the election into Kogi East Senatorial District and Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency declared inconclusive by INEC, Aliwo said the declaration was in order in view of the violence unleashed on the area during the exercise.
The legal practitioner however noted that the re-run elections would not make any serious difference on the existing results from other areas.
Aliwo maintained that the re-run must be conducted to fulfill the provisions of the law to finally determine, the winners.
