Nigeria’s Current President Holding Office Temporarily: Cardinal

“It means that until the court gives a final judgment on a disputed election result, the election process cannot be said to be concluded. A swearing-in ritual of any candidate still being disputed does not change this fact,” said the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja Archdiocese.

Cardinal Onaiyekan said he will give his “full loyalty” to the president once he is confirmed, adding that the president should “immediately quit office” should the court revoke his presidency.

Former presidential candidates Peter Obi of the Labour Party and People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s Abubakar Atiku went to court in March, seeking to challenge Tinubu’s win. 

In their separate petitions, Obi and Atiku claimed that they won the polls and asked the court to declare that Tinubu did not secure the majority votes.

According to INEC Tinubu garnered 8.8 million votes against 6.9 million garnered by Atiku and Obi’s 6.1 million votes.

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Obi and Atiku are praying that the court orders a new presidential election. 

Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja, has called on all parties in the case to appear before it on Tuesday, August 1 to adopt their final addresses before a judgment date is set.

In the report, Cardinal Onaiyekan said, “All court cases should be disposed of before swearing in anybody at any level of government.”

Cardinal Onaiyekan said there is need for the electoral law to “be drastically redrafted to ensure that elections are held with minimum rancor and controversy, again as is the case in most nations. Nigeria must move forward.” 

Magdalene Kahiu is a Kenyan journalist with passion in Church communication. She holds a Degree in Social Communications from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). Currently, she works as a journalist for ACI Africa.