The former president also pleaded with all parties involved in the legal proceedings to refrain from interfering with the Judiciary’s ability to do its job.
General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), a former head of state, has urged Nigerians to accept the court’s verdict when it is ultimately made as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) is scheduled to begin meeting on Monday, May 8, 2023.
On Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Abuja, he made the call while delivering a speech at the 15th annual PUNUKA Lecture and Symposium in honour of Justice Chike Idigbe, a former Supreme Court Judge.
The former military Head of State also pleaded with resentful politicians to refrain from interfering with the Judiciary’s ability to perform its job, saying that all parties involved must respect the court’s independence.
In the words of Gowon, “Let us remember the role that the Judiciary plays in nation-building, especially the supreme court, in carrying out its responsibility of testing the truth of the rulings of the lower court. As we go ahead as a country.
In order to protect the integrity of the Judiciary as individuals and as an institution, we must enable the top court to deliberate and make conclusions. We must also, as the public, be humble enough to accept their judgement as final.
“With the ongoing post-election lawsuit, this is critical at this point.
“Let’s give the judicial system a chance to do its job, and let’s accept the outcome as it is.”
Gowon emphasised the critical role of the court in creating and maintaining national unity while acknowledging the difficulties the nation has faced since its independence.
In essence, the Judiciary is the protector of the constitution and the rule of law. As a previous head of state, I have personally witnessed and experienced the value of the Judiciary in preserving peace and order in our society, the former leader said.
The appeal from the former military leader comes amid continued debate about Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC candidate who won the presidential election on February 25.
Atiku Abubakar, a candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, a candidate for the Labour Party, have refused to accept Tinubu’s victory since INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu pronounced him the winner on March 1.
The pair and their parties charged INEC with manipulating the process to benefit the former governor of Lagos State by failing to fulfil a pre-election pledge to post polling unit results on its results viewing page in real-time.
According to INEC, Tinubu received 8.8 million votes in total to defeat Atiku and Obi, who each received 6.9 million votes to place second and third, respectively.
