Why I won’t recognize any president-elect — Methodist Archbishop
A Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia, Anambra, Most Rev. Dr Chibuzo Raphael Opoko, has stated that he won’t recognize the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.
According to the Vanguard, the cleric, while speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, stated that the allegations on the outcome of the presidential election held on February 25 were too weighty to be discarded.
He also lamented the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission, to upload the results of the presidential election from polling units to its server via the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System machines as required by the new Electoral Act, and as earlier promised by the Commission.
While explaining that he won’t recognize the President-elect, he noted that allegations of heavy manipulation of the presidential poll results were too weighty to be ignored.
The cleric said he has decided not to acknowledge anybody as president-elect until the court give verdict on the various petitions against the INEC declared winner of the contest.
“How can I do that when the premise that INEC used is being challenged in the competent court of law?” He queried.
While commenting on the perception of the ‘Obidients’, the former Secretary of Conference and the Chair, World Methodist Council, Social and International Affairs, said, contrary to misconceptions in certain quarters “seen and read in the public domain” the ‘Obedients’ are not members of Labour Party but millions of Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the “goings-on, corruption, insecurity and misgovernance in the land.”
He said that the ‘Obedients’ “cut across ages, political parties, tribes, ethnic nationalities, and religions in the country.
The cleric explained that the ‘Obedients’ are those who believe in the emergence of a new Nigeria where justice, equity, fair play, merit and due process will be the order of the day.
Archibishop Opoko stressed that the supporters of the LP presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, where not members but came from different political parties, saying that they only saw who can actualise their dreams of the new Nigeria in the LP flag bearer.
“A lot of people talk about the ‘Obedients’ as if they are a political party. They are people who are tired and dissatisfied with the way things are done in Nigeria, and they wanted a change.
“They cut across different political parties, religion and geo-political zones.
” They only saw themselves in the expression of the LP candidate who speaks and has the vision of their expectations.
” So, the ‘Obedients’ movement is beyond Peter Obi. Peter Obi is just like a driver that has been engaged by the ‘Obedients’ movement to take them to the promised land.
He also called on the judiciary to be free and fair handling the petitions before it without favour, stating that the world is watching with keen interest to know how it will decide on the petitions.
” Nigerians are taking note and identifying those who are working against the Nation. Those who are anti-new Nigeria of their dreams. Those who have their knees on the neck of the nation cause the Nation difficulties in breathing.
” A day of reckoning must surely come and they will never forget but will surely remember. Hence, the judiciary is called upon to dispense justice and uphold truth no matter whose ox is gored.”