#NIGERIA DECIDES2023: Obasanjo’s call for election cancellation condemnable – ex-COAS, Alani Akinrinade
A former Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), has knocked former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his call for the cancellation of the elections, Punch reports.
Punch claimed Gen. Akinrinade said the recent statement by Obasanjo over the recently concluded elections must be condemned in the strongest terms by democracy-loving Nigerians and those who care about the unity of the country.
The Punch reports that Obasanjo alleged that the results of last Saturday’s presidential election had been “doctored and manipulated.”
The ex-president, who called on the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to demand a review of the results collation process, said this through a statement, on Monday.
Reacting further, the ex-Army chief said, “His (Obasanjo’s) statement coming at a time when the Independent National Electoral Commission was still busy with the conduct and release of the election results, is both unfortunate and a glaring and calculative attempt to game the system. Without any shred of evidence, a former President is challenging the integrity of a national election and calling a seating President to truncate it midway.
“As a General, who fought for the unity of this country and one that has witnessed the many twists and turns of our democratic development, I am certain that Nigeria this time is on the right path. I find it most disturbing and objectionable that a former General and President will introduce such a diatribe into the body politic of Nigeria at such a delicate time as this.”
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He said Obasanjo’s intervention fell short of patriotism and fitted perfectly into meddling in the affairs of state that was already the constitutional responsibility of INEC.
Akinrinade called on President Buhari to ignore Obasanjo and focus on supporting the lawful institution to do its job by allowing the process to run its full course.
“The President Buhari I know will let the process run its full course and will not intervene in an undemocratic manner to truncate the ongoing political process,” he said.
