THE SUPREME COURT HAS PRONOUNCED, GOD IS WATCHING. NIGERIA MUST GO ON.
Concluding remarks at Homily of Sunday Mass, 29th October 2023
Church of the Assumption, Asokoro
By +John Cardinal Onaiyekan (CON) Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja
In conclusion, permit me to share a few reflections on the events of this past week.
The Supreme court has finally confirmed the judgement of the Court of Appeal that neither Atiku nor Obi has proved their case against the election victory awarded to Bola Ahmed Tinubu by INEC. The case is therefore closed and final. As the nation tries to move on, I suggest we keep the following points in mind.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our President for the next four years. This means that he now has to face his work – to rule the nation, and rule it well, with peace, freedom, security and prosperity. May God guide and guard him in this onerous task.
As good citizens, we should support his good efforts. But for the same reason of responsible citizenship, we should not hesitate to hold him accountable for any failure. The president has now a confirmed election victory. But sovereignty still remains with the people, with their fundamental human and civic rights intact. They have not become the property of Mr. President. He must serve the people, all the people, without discrimination, partiality or bias.
From what we have been hearing, it is clear that despite the Supreme Court’s final pronouncement, many people have openly disagreed. It seems that the substantive issue of whether the Presidential election was well done or not still remains in serious dispute.
But God knows if there was any foul play or not. His judgment stands over and above all human tribunals, which, being human, are never infallible. All the human actors in this drama – winner, losers and judges – must now face the judgement of God – who is all just and all merciful.
As Christians, we firmly believe that all power belongs to God. Human rulers hold power that belongs to God. No matter how they acquire it, whether by accident of birth, as in hereditary monarchy, or the barrel of the gun, as in successful military coup, or by election, whether rigged or not rigged, and however they use power, they will give full account of every action. This is all the more reason why we pray for our rulers, at all levels.
As for us citizens, we should continue to do our best to move our nation forward. Let us remember that for over 30 years, we survived under regimes and juntas that did not go through any elections. We pray that the right lessons may be learned from the tensions of the past months. We cannot continue to deceive ourselves. If our nation is to truly move forward, we must be ready to embrace the true values of democracy, with utmost sincerity and transparent integrity.
May God bless Nigeria
Amen!