AFTER the highly eventful 2023 general elections, the nation is ensconced in two major preoccupations on the political front. The first is the preparation for the swearing-in of the next Federal Government on May 29, 2023. 

The other is entertainment of election petitions filed at the Court of Appeal by four aggrieved political parties and their candidates – the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; the Labour Party, LP; Action Alliance, AA; and Allied People’s Movement, APM.

The preparations for the inauguration should not blind Nigerians from the importance of the suits at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT. 

These cases are meant to illustrate in graphic terms what really transpired, especially at the presidential election of February 25, 2023, where the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, suddenly largely abandoned its much vaunted technology in the real time transmission of results as outlined in the Electoral Act, INEC guidelines and countless public undertakings by its officials.

The PEPT is not an academic exercise. Under our laws, it is a continuation of the electoral process which will only end when the Tribunal and the Supreme Court make their final verdicts known based on evidences and pleadings put at their disposal.

The framers of our Constitution and Electoral Act knew the importance of justice in elections. That was why the avenue for the pursuit of justice was created. 

It is a truism that where there is justice, there is likely to be peace. But where there is injustice, any “peace” that may obtain can only be of the graveyard type. Bottled-up feelings of injustice are not the frames of mind we require to enter the new dispensation with. It will make governance difficult.

Nigerians who have been calling on the aggrieved parties and candidates to withdraw their cases and “negotiate” for their places in the next government are doing Nigeria a disservice. If there is going to be negotiation it should come after the courts have given justice to whom it is due.

Let us patiently go through this process and understand what really happened at the elections. 

We believe the process is more important than the end result. It is the process that validates the result and reaffirms winners and losers for the whole world to see. The winner assumes power with the full assurance of the people’s genuine mandate, and the losers wait for another time to try again.

We hope the Judiciary is fully aware of the heavy weight of the election petitions on its desk. Where the political parties, candidates and the INEC failed, the Judiciary is called upon to stand tall for Nigeria and give justice to whom it is due. If it also fails, how will Nigerians regain their faith in our system and government?