The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has advised against heating up the polity amid the ongoing collation of results for the presidential election.
The presidential election results are currently being collated by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in the federal capital territory (FCT).
The results of some states have already been announced.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have called for a stop to the exercise, alleging that the election was compromised.
Adding his voice to the complaints, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Monday, raised concerns over allegations that the poll had been marred by irregularities, and he urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take immediate steps to address the situation — including rescheduling polls in affected areas.
Obasanjo’s comments have drawn mixed reactions among political figures across the country, including Alani Akinrinade, a former chief of army staff.
The ex-COAS said Obasanjo’s advice “falls short of patriotism and fits perfectly into meddling in the affairs of state” and called on Buhari to ignore it.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Tuesday by Nafi’u Ahmed, its secretary-general, the SCSN said Nigerians and the international community need to understand that “no democratic election is perfect”, adding that it supports Akinrinade’s reaction to Obasanjo’s comment.
The council appealed to Nigerians “to remain calm and respect the will of the majority as expressed through the ballot box and embrace their brethren and the emerging leaders for a brighter, secure and prosperous Nigeria, for today and the future generations”.
“We should all remember that there can never be progress and prosperity without peace, stability, and security,” the statement reads.
The council urged “the security agencies to be alert and alive to their responsibilities of maintaining public order, peace, and security, in the face of unguarded, provocative and unpatriotic remarks and outbursts by some people who believe the outcome must reflect their personal wishes or preferences”.
“In this regard, we are in total agreement with the reaction of General Akinrinade to the preposterous and unhelpful comments by former president Obasanjo. Nigerians will not accept any delusional contraption being noted,” the statement reads.
“[We] remind Nigerians, especially the political class aspiring to lead, that in every election; there are bound to be winners and losers, but in the end, it is the future and progress of the country that is paramount, and this can only be achieved through a stable and peaceful transition. We further urge all
Nigerians to remain calm and hopeful of a greater and prosperous future.
“I will conclude with a final appeal to the government and the security agencies not to spare any group or individual, no matter his status or privilege in society, who seeks to stoke hatred, incitement to violence or otherwise engages in acts capable of creating disharmony, disruption of peace or
compounding the delicate security situation of our dear country.”
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