The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the Tinubu-Shettima 2023 Presidential campaign has pleaded with the Presidential candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, to withdraw their cases at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) and join President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government of national unity.
The group admitted that though it is the fundamental right of the aggrieved candidates to seek legal redress, they should withdraw their litigations for national interest and join hands with Tinubu in the proposed national unity and inclusive government.
The National Coordinator of the coalition, Lilian Ene Ogbole, claimed that President Tinubu-led government has proved beyond doubt to be transformational in nature with huge potential to reunite, revitalise, renew and reposition Nigeria for a breakthrough.
Ogbole, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja, argued that since Tinubu is playing out the intentions of national Interest of all the candidates, they should go a step further to synergise with him to achieve the same patriotic purpose.
“As stakeholders in the Nigerian project, we deemed it imperative to use this medium to call on all selfless, well-meaning Nigerians and patriots across party lines everywhere around the globe to sheathe their sword and embrace this apparently transformational government of national unity and all-inclusiveness.
“We resolved to say unequivocally loud and clear, here and now that the victory in the last presidential election is a victory for all Nigerians regardless of their political affiliation and alignment, religion or tribe, it is indeed a victory for Africa, the entire black race and of course victory for the entire world and humanity at large; it was a no victor no vanquish election.
“President Tinubu-led government has thus far proved beyond every reasonable doubt to be transformational in nature with huge potential to reunite, revitalise, renew and reposition Nigeria for a breakthrough to an uninterrupted era of progress and prosperity, hence the need for all hands to be on deck.
“Even though we are aware that it is the fundamental right of all aggrieved candidates to seek redress in the court of law, in the national interest we wish to use this avenue to crave the indulgence of all aggrieved candidates who are seeking redress in the tribunal to withdraw their litigations against the president and join hands with him in the proposed national unity and all-inclusive government.
“We are saying this confidently because we can see from all indications that the Tinubu-led administration is ready to work assiduously to install peace, development and progress in Nigeria,” the coalition argued.
Speaking further, Ogbole said: “We are certain that the priority of all candidates of other political parties is to do same selflessly in national Interest since Tinubu is playing out their intentions they could and should go a step further to synergise with him to achieve the same patriotic purpose in the national interest.
“For this is the only way to prove to the world that indeed, their struggles are not personal and selfish, but rather in national interest and quest to restore the dignity of man in our domain through initiation and implementation of people-friendly policies and programmes.
“The present administration is doing excellent well already as evident in most of the nation-building steps he has embarked on such as the fuel subsidy removal, the education bill that was signed into law, the display of uncommon fairness and equity in the appointment of keys principal office holders and of course, his monitory and economic policies.
“We are also using this opportunity to call on all our elder statesmen from across the length and breadth of Nigeria to swiftly without further delays invite all aggrieved parties to a round table meeting and appeal to them not to subvert the will of the people through distractions but to join hands with the government that was willingly elected by Nigerians to change their story through unprecedented development for the betterment of all and Sundry.
“It is certainly not the time for further distractions; it is time to move Nigeria forward in a positive direction. This is a call for a unity government in the national interest,” the coalition appealed.