Compel CJN, INEC to sign Peace Accord — PLF tells Abdulsalami

Forum 1 year ago

Compel CJN, INEC to sign Peace Accord — PLF tells Abdulsalami

TEN days before the Presidential and National Assembly election, Heads of some Leadership Institutes under the aegis of Princeton Leadership Forum (PLF) have called on the General Abdulsalami Abubakar led National Peace Committee to ensure that the Chief Justice of the Federation, CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu are made to sign the Peace Accord before the conduct of any election.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja at the first leadership series on the 2023 general elections, the Leadership Institutes’ Executives said that as critical stakeholders in the electoral process, the CJN and the INEC Chairman should append their signature on the documents that the Peace Committee is currently asking the candidates in the elections to sign.

Those who spoke at the event were the Convener, of the National Political Equity Movement, who doubles as the President of PLF, Ambassador Chibuzor Okereke; the Executive Director, of Ugwumba Center For Leadership Development In Africa, Mr Remy Chukwunyere; Founder/Chairman, EMWHYZEE Technologies, Mr Ifeanyi Ngama, and the Chief Executive Officer of Captival Limited, Mr Abdulmumin Umar.

The Speakers who spoke on the topic, “What Kind Of Leaders Should Nigerians Elect” and anchored by Ms Ijeoma Eze, a management consultant, all agreed that the next president of Nigeria must be someone with credibility, character, competence, capability and wisdom to handle the affairs of the country, adhering to the rule of law, adding that age should not be a major determinant of the next president of the country, but said that the person must be fit physically and mentally.

The Speakers noted that the next President as Nigerians vote on Saturday, February 25th must shun nepotism by bringing all the various ethnic nationalities together and appoint competent people irrespective of tribe or religion, however, stressed the need for the next Nigerian leader to have the political will and ensure strong institutions that must hold public officers including the president, accountable at all times.

The Speakers who hailed the current Electoral system put in place by the INEC and the National Assembly, however, noted with regret that the laudable efforts were being frustrated by the judiciary and some corrupt officers of the electoral umpire.

On his part, Chukwunyere who lamented the use of technicalities by the judiciary at all levels to subvert the will of the people instead of considering the merits of the case before the Courts, urged the General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s National Peace Committee to ensure that the CJN and the INEC chief should also join candidates in elections to sign the Peace Accord.

Chukwunyere who noted that the actions and inactions of the INEC and judiciary could spark off protests from the electorate who would not be happy that their will had been subverted by some corrupt judges and INEC officials, said, “INEC which has the final say on election results was not part of the Peace Accord signing process neither was the head of the nation’s judiciary.

“The INEC and the Judiciary are key players in the electoral process. Their actions and inactions could have an impact on the outcome of the election.

“The National Peace Committee is only interested in the candidates in the election whereas the CJN and the INEC Chairman should also sign the peace pact.

“We all know that whoever the INEC returning officer declares as the winner of the election remained elected unless the court says otherwise.

” So, why is the NPC leaving the heads of these two critical stakeholders out of the peace accord exercise? This must be revisited because they are even more important in the electoral process than even the political parties. “

Chukwunyere’s submissions were unanimously agreed with by his colleagues who called on the National Assembly to as a matter of urgency, pass the Electoral Offences Bill, just as they said that if the House of Representatives could concur with the Senate which had already passed the bill, politicians would know that punishment awaits them when they use thugs to cause violence during elections.