Doyin Awosanya
Whosoever God chooses He ordains for greatness. No matter the compressing huddles against the anointed soul, the will of God prevails and the chosen one conquers them all.
For a man to remain unconquerable amidst so much conspiracy is the mark of supernatural backing beyond human treacheries and prejudicial gang up.
Although people may choose to throw darts of hatred and wage the most brutal war of malice against the anointed candidate, in the end, God wins and affirms His superior might over the nebulous plots of man.
The protracted anxiety and the much awaited verdict from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) was finally delivered on 6th September, 2023 by a five-man panel of jurists led by justice Haruna Tsamani, where the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was unanimously affirmed the winner of the 2023 Presidential Election.
Against the frivolous suits instituted by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Peter Obi of Labour party challenging the victory of President Tinubu, the Tribunal, in its unanimous judgement, couldn’t have only dismissed all petitions against President Tinubu but described them as unfounded, frivolous, speculative, false and lacking in merit.
By the obvious landmark judgement, the imaginary permutation of a possible presidential re-run and the disgusting mantra of a “Stolen Mandate” came to nought. That President Tinubu could once again crush the opposition through a legal contest, having first defeated them in the last presidential election, is the affirmative of his legitimacy and superior political sagacity over those merely ranting and clearly jealous of Tinubu’s victory and uncommon blessings.
From massive political gang up to unprecedented ecclesiastical conspiracy against the chosen one, not even the Tribunal could have reversed the “Will of God” in its unanimous judgement.
In its landmark (14 hours) judgement, the Tribunal, among other things, resolved as follows:
That President Tinubu won the 2023 Presidential Election and was rightfully declared the winner with majority lawful votes cast.
That the petitions from the APM, LP and PDP were not only frivolous but fundamentally defective, nebulous, incongruous and lacking in substance.
That INEC does not need to transmit electoral results electronically but as the commission may deem fit.
That President Tinubu was never charged, arraigned and convicted for a criminal offence in US. You then wonder how one gets convicted for an offence not charged and arraigned, as being maliciously peddled by the opposition.
That 25% vote from the FCT is never a requirement before a presidential candidate could be declared winner in a presidential race in Nigeria.
That Peter Obi failed woefully to establish poling units where alleged rigging were perpetrated against him.
With disgusting mantras of both “Stolen mandate” and “All eyes on the judiciary”, it is interesting to note that 10 out of the 13 witnesses called by LP/Peter Obi were rejected for their conflicting evidences against the incumbent President. Through a painstaking legal interpretation, the Tribunal profoundly reflected on all issues raised by the petitioners and subsequently delivered a comprehensive judgement that may never be reversed by the apex court of the land if later challenged at the highest court of the land.
That’s the beauty of the rule of law and the interpretation of the statutes that are comparatively easy to discern by discernible minds, and indeed more emphatic than mere emotional display by people struck by the incongruity of legal knowledge and the application of jurisprudence and constitutionalism.
That President Tinubu remains unconquerable in all fronts can only affirm him as an undisputable political enigma Nigeria ever had. The more you strive to subdue him, the more he returns stronger and unbeatable. The more you blackmail him, the more God promotes him. The more you wish for his downfall, the more God enthrones him and raises him above all odds. As a matter of fact, the more you vilify him the more God vindicates him.
Now that the dust is almost settled, can the opposition allow the President to stay focused on the business of governance? Nigerians have had enough of opprobrious attacks and endless reign of smear campaigns. What Nigerians desire are credible governance and accountable leadership from the present administration. We need to realise that corporate governance begins where dirty politics stops.
Now that the game is over, the opposition can at least for now lower the torrential salvos; come down from the cavalier of prejudice, ready to go home and re-strategize how to tame the unconquerable Tinubu in 2027. Until then, President Tinubu remains the Nigerian President.
Rather than the unremitting premeditated attacks, the aggrieved parties can approach the Supreme Court for further judicial review and the interpretation of the Tribunal’s verdict. This remains the best way to ventilate reservations and ensure political stability in democratic governance.
*Awosanya, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abeokuta
