By Adedapo Adesanya
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, has said that despite rising tensions in the country as the country anticipates the next president, the nation will remain at peace.
He made this comment as the lower chamber resumed plenary on Tuesday, saying that the real test of an advanced democracy is the ability to manage grievances without causing fatal damage to the polity.
“Nigeria will be at peace because we will work through the law and due process to resolve differences, settle disputes and ensure the peaceful transition of power,” he said.
“I am confident we will rise above the worst expectations others may have of us in this defining this moment.
“We will resist malign actors seeking to exploit this moment of tension for their ends. We will defeat the cynicism of those waiting to see their worst predictions for our country become real,” he added.
Mr Gbajabiamila noted that the Nigerian constitution and the electoral act that governs elections in Nigeria both define a framework of post-election dispute resolution and adjudication.
“This framework exists to protect the integrity of our elections. It ensures that when elections fail to meet expectations, contested issues of facts and law can be resolved through a due process within a legal framework befitting a constitutional democracy. It is not in the interests of our country, now or ever, to advocate for or embrace extra-legal interventions to resolve electoral disputes and address grievances.
“We must avoid actions or utterances that set the stage for interventions that could be fatal to our democracy and the gains we have made over the last two decades. This is the time, despite whatever disappointments we may each feel, to reject considerations of partisan and other interests to come together and make sure first that our country survives and our imperfect democracy continues its march towards progress and a perfect union.
“This is the time for political, social, religious and economic leaders across the nation to work steadfastly together towards the ends of law and due process. I am confident we will rise above the worst expectations others may have of us in this defining this moment.
“We will resist malign actors seeking to exploit this moment of tension for their ends. We will defeat the cynicism of those waiting to see their worst predictions for our country become real. Nigeria will be at peace because we will work through the law and due process to resolve differences, settle disputes and ensure the peaceful transition of power,” part of a statement said.
He added that legislative duties must continue as the ninth assembly begins to count an end to its tenure.
“The work of governance continues here in the House of Representatives even as we count down to the end of our term in the 9th assembly.
“We will also begin to prepare transition notes at the Committee levels, as earlier proposed, as part of our reforms to build institutional memory and ensure continuity in governance. And we will continue reviewing legislative actions, interventions, successes and failures relating to the implementation of the 9th House of Representatives legislative agenda, which we began in January,” the lawmaker stated.
