Archbishop Onuoha Says Inaugurating Tinubu President Is Injustice; Calls For “Doctrine Of Necessity”

By Charles Igbo

As Nigeria inaugurates a new President on Monday, May 29, 2023, to run its affairs for the next four years, the Anglican Archbishop of the Owerri Ecclesiastical Province/ Bishop of Okigwe South, His Grace, Most Revd.(Dr) David Onuoha, has advised caution.

The revered Clergyman is of the strong opinion that inaugurating President-elect, Bola Tinubu,  the President, while there are still serious Court cases challenging his election is not only unjust, but a deliberate stoking of trouble.

Archbishop Onuoha, who described the 2023 General Elections as a scam, and crowned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  Professor Mahmood Yakubu, “Nigeria’s number one enemy”, called on the National Assembly to invoke the “doctrine of necessity”, in order to save Nigeria from crisis. To the Archbishop, it is not late to do so. It is  “better be late than the late.”

Onuoha expressed these strong views in his Presidential Address delivered on 20th May, 2023, at the “3rd Session of the 10th Synod” of the Diocese of Okigwe South, held at St Paul’s Cathedral, Ezeoke Nsu, which theme was The Desolation On The Moral Altar Of Our Society: A Plea For Repentance, taken from the book of St Mark 13:14.

Onuoha: “It is very necessary for the National Assembly to rise up now as they did, 13 years ago, with a doctrine of necessity that will allow for the disposal of all election petitions before swearing in. To go on with the swearing-in of the ‘President-select’ will rubbish whatever gains already made in the march towards a better Nigeria.”

He decried the role played by Professor Yakubu, and lamented the “deceit  falsehood and impunity employed in this particular election, especially, that of the President”, and dismissed it “as unprecedented in the history of nations.”

He noted that in saner climes, the INEC Chairman would have been arrested and charged for the sabotage of Nigeria’s Electoral Process.

For an exercise into which, Onuoha pointed out, was sunk a whopping N400b, the Archbishop noted that: “INEC, to the embarrassment, astonishment and bewilderment of all, kidnapped the future and hope for a better Nigeria.

“The deceit, falsehood and impunity employed in this particular election, especially, that of the President is unprecedented in the history of nations. The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, should be declared the number one enemy of Nigeria.

“I recommend a National Award of GEFR, i.e., Grand Enemy of the Federal Republic for him.”

However, the Archbishop  commended Nigerians for their maturity in not taking to the streets for a violent protest. But, he passionately, appealed to Judicial Officers,  to perform their duties with fairness now that the petitions against the Election are before them.

He said: “We commend Nigerians for the maturity in handling the aftermath of the election by rejecting the option of demonstration and violence and choosing to be civil. Now that the matters are before the Court, we passionately appeal to our Judicial Officers to endeavour to be fair and just in handling the petitions before them. We expect that falsehood will be exposed and truth upheld.”

Onuoha also lamented the fate which befell the Igbo in Lagos, where they were denied the right to vote for the Candidate of their choice, and have, since then been the victims of persecution and economic sabotage.

His words: “The 2023 General elections recorded an all-time low in the persecution and victimisation of Ndigbo. That people were prevented from exercising their rights to vote for a candidate of their choice is a shame to Nigeria as a nation. Not only that, Yoruba people whose mothers are Igbo, also suffered the same experience.

“Since after the elections, Igbos have been made to pass through hell as they became victims of physical trauma and economic loss, arising from targeting their business.”

He found the silence exhibited by  both the Federal and Lagos State Governments on the fate of the Igbo bewildering.

Following, are excerpts from the address which most people say is not only deep,  but an intellectual harvest.

“We congratulate Nigerians for exercising their rights to choose their leaders in the last general elections that gulped nearly N400b of tax payers’ money.

“However, despite all the promises and assurances, INEC, to the embarrassment, astonishment and bewilderment of all, kidnapped the future and hope for a better Nigeria. The deceit, falsehood and impunity employed in this particular election, especially, that of the President, is unprecedented in the history of nations. An ample opportunity to get things right and reposition Nigeria for greatness was sacrificed on the altar of greed, selfishness and impunity.

“The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, should be declared the number one enemy of Nigeria. I recommend a National Award of GEFR,  i.e.,Grand Enemy of the Federal Republic, for him. In saner climes, he would have either resigned or be arrested and charged for sabotage of the Nigerian Electoral Process.

“We commend Nigerians for the maturity in handling the aftermath of the election by rejecting the option of demonstration and violence and choosing to be civil.

“Now that the matters are before the Court, we passionately appeal to our Judicial Officers to endeavour to be fair and just in handling the petitions before them. We expect that falsehood will be exposed and truth upheld.

“While we congratulate all those who truly won and were returned elected, we pity those who robbed others of their victory. According to the Prophet Isaiah: Woe unto them that call evil good and good, evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight ( Isaiah 5: 2, 21).

“It may be necessary at this stage to find out why politicians would always be too happy going to Court after perpetrating obvious electoral fraud. The usual slang, : ‘declare me winner and let him go to Court’, indicate a major flaw in our electoral jurisprudence. This is because the Court, in most cases, has confirmed those electoral fraud and manipulations thereby giving a stamp of authority to illegality.

“We are worried that the high level of  impunity witnessed in our society today, especially, in electoral matters, portents grave danger to our nation if not arrested urgently.

“The civil disobedience that might follow any attempt to stamp judicial authority to illegality on the scam the 2023 Presidential election turned out to be will not be good for anyone. We must always remember that the factors that make oppression possible also make struggle for liberation inevitable.

“We, therefore, call for a review of our laws with a view to removing any provision that may encourage, and embolden wrong doers. Judicial Officers must be bold and courageous in the discharge of their duties to save the society from anarchy.

“It is very necessary for the National Assembly to rise up now as they did, 13 years ago, with a doctrine of necessity that will allow for disposal of all election petitions before swearing in. To go on with the swearing-in of the ‘President-select’ will rubbish  whatever gains already made in the march towards a better Nigeria.

“We are neither for any particular Candidate nor against anybody. All we are saying is that Nigerians must be allowed to have a say in who become their leaders, and their wishes freely expressed through the ballot must be allowed to stand.

“A free and fair election will not only make for confidence in the Nigerian project, but will also reduce post election litigation and acrimonious and their attendant cost to the nation.

“We call on all people of goodwill in Nigeria, especially, the youths to avoid giving in to frustration and disappointment. They should rather be steadfast in the battle to redeem this nation. No sacrifice will be too much in changing the status quo that has impeded and hindered the progress and development of this nation.

“The 2023 General elections recorded an all-time low in the persecution and victimisation of Ndigbo. That people were prevented from exercising their rights to vote for a candidate of their choice is a shame to Nigeria as a nation. Not only that, Yoruba people whose mothers are Igbo, also suffered the same experience.

“Since after the elections, Igbos have been made to pass through hell as they became victims of physical trauma and economic loss, arising from targeting their business establishments for arson. The silence of both the Federal and Lagos State Governments and their refusal to address this sad development is as incriminating as it is regrettable.

“The Governors of the States in Igboland as well as Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide should take steps to ensure that the Igbo in Lagos and, indeed, every part of Nigeria, and their properties are protected.”