The former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has described those trying to dissuade the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Atiku Abubakar from challenging the outcome of the February 23 presidential election results as “evil minds.”
Obasanjo stated this in his congratulatory letter to the Osun State PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Ademola Adeleke, who was on Friday declared winner of the September 22, 2018 election in the state by the governorship election tribunal.
He said if Buhari could go to court three times to seek justice “even without reasonable cause, any Nigerian who feels denied of justice must feel free to go to court,” he said.
Obasanjo, who was in Dubai attending the Global Education and Skills Forum meeting stated: “Those who have conceived and are promoting the narrative that if Atiku Abubakar continues to seek legal redress, there will be violence, are evil minds looking for an excuse to unleash violence on Nigerians.
“At no time in the history has sustainable peace been built on theft, injustice, corruption and inequity. These merchants of chaos and violence should have no peace in any decent society. And they must know that no intimidation or prophecy of violence and doomsday will cow anybody.
“Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians. We will respect as friends those who believe that what is good for their country should be good for Nigeria. Yes, we are Africans, but we have values that are consistent with international standards.
“Court is part of our democratic process and it must be used when necessary if only to achieve justice, stability, unity and progress for our country.
“While I have refrained from commenting on the 2019 elections, because one of the parties has gone to court, may I point out that those who call themselves our development partners and friends and preach, sacrificing justice on the altar of the so-called stability, are enemies of justice, democracy and Nigeria.
“We will continue to sustain Nigeria in stability and unity on the altar of justice, equity, fairness, freedom, human rights and democracy. Stability cannot be successfully built on injustice, corruption, inequity and divided nation and one-sidedness.
“Nigeria will match forward with or without those who will want to feed us with diet of values and actions that are not acceptable in their own countries. Nigeria is of age.”
Obasanjo commended the Osun governorship election tribunal for its courage in nullifying what he described as “clearly an illegality”, saying: “This action by the judicial officers, albeit a first step in the legal process, gives renewed confidence in the judiciary at a time when there are coordinated efforts by some political leaders to undermine, if not destroy it.
“As I have repeatedly said, the world is watching with keen interest. What we do or do not do right in our electoral process will have implications, not just for Nigeria, but for Africa and, indeed, the world.
“By correcting what was clearly a desperate attempt to change the will of the Osun people, the tribunal has saved Nigeria from great embarrassment and started the process of saving and strengthening our democracy. This is the right and proper thing to do in any decent society.
“Going to court must be encouraged as some people are now attempting to do.”
