The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, has faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo for calling for the suspension of the ongoing presidential election process.
The MSSN Lagos Amir (President), Miftahudeen Thanni, in a statement on Tuesday, said Obasanjo’s letter to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), “was unnecessary and biased”.
Obasanjo had in a letter on Monday called for the suspension of the collation of results of the presidential election over concerns of irregularities raised in some quarters, and urged Buhari to prevail on the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel elections in the polling units affected.
In the statement by Thanni, he “expressed shock that a former president would be suggesting actions capable of truncating Nigeria’s democracy.”
Thanni said, “Can other elders admonish former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to put the nation into a blazing fire? That letter was unnecessary at a point when the country is tense.”
He added that Obasanjo “probably has a mission unknown to many of us. As an elder statesman, we expect him to be calling for calm and not heating the polity.
“This electoral process must continue and by God’s willing the antics of forces trying to bring disunity among Nigerians will fail. Why should an ex-president be making unconstitutional suggestions? The votes of the people must count. The ideal step to take is that any aggrieved candidate should seek redress in court. Truncating the election is a piece of bad advice.”
The MSSN amir, however, expressed concern over the inability of INEC to transmit election results electronically, saying, “Though we are also concerned about the inability of INEC to transmit election results, the letter by Obasanjo shows that he’s acting a script and has a hazardous mission that must be checked. Or are the results being announced in Abuja different from what was announced at the state level?
“We do not want anarchy in this country. It is our future that is at stake not that of Obasanjo. The president and INEC should jettison the former president’s bias, distorted thoughts and suggestions.
“Buhari must ignore people who want to spoil his legacy through suggestions that are capable of having an interim government in Nigeria.”
Thanni advised Buhari that, “Dear President, please discard Obasanjo’s letter. This process must be completed. The choice of the people must be respected and declared. The whole world is watching.