Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over the body’s shoddy handling of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
He alleged that the commission failed to follow proper procedure in the conduct of the polls.
Sheikh Gumi who reacted to the controversy that has trailed the declaration APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as winner of the election, in a statement Thursday said he was in support of aggrieved parties challenging the poll result in court.
The controversial cleric warned against violent protest, citing the country’s challenges and the fact that the polity was tensed up already.
“The INEC has failed the nation by sowing more distrust and suspicion because it failed to follow its own guidelines in conducting last week’s elections.
“I implore the opposition parties as an obligatory national duty, to go to the election tribunal and up to the Supreme Court to reestablish the supremacy of law and to teach our younger generation the value of resolving disputes through legal means rather than violence.
“The polity is already very tense, and any government that lacks credibility cannot suppress the people, especially at this troubling time when every region has armed agitating groups that are willing to exploit political instability to augment their rebellion.
“Let the entire litigation process run its course. It has a great deal of importance for our national health.
“Fortunately, that is the first step in seeking legitimacy, therefore aggrieved parties should go to court.
“We sincerely hope the courts of law this time will also prove its worth and uphold the truth. It is the last hope that Nigerians can resort to, otherwise, it will lead to chaos that no other force can contain as the nation is already polarised along religious and tribal fault lines.
“Nigeria is our only country, we have to save it from calamity by acting bravely, honestly free from political hypocrisy that requires putting thorny issues under the rug,” he added. (Ripples Nigeria)
