The National Orientation Agency has appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and avoid acts and utterances capable of overheating the polity as the Independent National Electoral Commission collates results of the general elections, especially the presidential election.
The Director General of the agency, Garba Abari, in a statement on Tuesday appealed to citizens to conduct themselves with decorum, especially regarding the still ongoing collation of results.
He said, “As a people, we have invested so much in the 2023 general elections, both as a nation and as individual citizens, to let anything truncate the process at any point.
“I call on political, religious and traditional leaders and indeed all leaders of thought, to not only exercise caution in their utterances at this time but also to please use their influence to promote peace, restraint and recourse to legal means alone at this critical moment of our national experience.
“The survival of the country far outweighs any other consideration and nothing should provoke our people even at this time. We have, as a people, worked together to achieve the peace that we enjoy today. We have worked hard to ensure that this election happen peacefully. We have more to gain as a nation by remaining peaceful and orderly as we await the results of the election.”
The PUNCH reports that the collation of the presidential and National Assembly elections held on Saturday has been riddled with concerns by political parties on the alleged complicity of INEC officials to manipulate the electoral process, delay in uploading of results and other irregularities.
On Tuesday, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, also said the confusion trailing Saturday’s polls was unnecessary and called on politicians to avoid actions capable of heating up the polity.
The monarch made the plea in a statement by his spokesperson, Moses Olafare.
He said, “The imbroglio developing from the presidential election of Saturday is unnecessary, distracting and totally unacceptable. The nation does not need it at the moment. All over the world, elections are known to be disputed. And the tension must be addressed in line with the law of the land and in accordance with the best global practices.
“I urge all politicians involved and their respective political parties, without exception, not to do anything capable of heating up the polity or threatening Nigeria’s cohesion.
“Nigerians have suffered enough and any form of uproar will add to the already harsh condition of living for Nigerians, especially the poor and vulnerable among us. I equally urge our youths to resist all pressure to be utilised by unpatriotic elements as thugs.”
