#NigeriaDecides2023: Grievances should be resolved through legal framework, says Gbaja

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, says the issues raised against the election should be resolved through due process.

Gbajabiamila spoke on Tuesday on the floor of the green chamber while addressing his colleagues who resumed plenary.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) have called for the cancellation of the presidential election.

Speaking on the polls, Gbajabiamila said the “grievances” against the election should be addressed through legal process to avoid “causing fatal damage” to the nation’s democracy.

“We expect shortly to be informed who will be the next president of our republic and the people who will represent Nigerians in the 10th assembly,” he said.

“Elections in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-party democracy too often devolve into faultlines, generating abundant conflict and controversy.

“The test of an advanced democracy is the ability to manage grievances and settle disagreements without causing fatal damage to the body’s polity.   

“The constitution of our republic and the electoral act that governs elections in Nigeria both define a framework of post-election dispute resolution and adjudication. This framework exists to protect the integrity of our elections.

“It ensures that when elections fail to meet expectations, contested issues of facts and law can be resolved through due process within a legal framework befitting a constitutional democracy.

“It is not in the interests of our country, now or ever, to advocate for or embrace extralegal interventions to resolve electoral disputes and address grievances.”

Gbajabiamila said Nigerians should “avoid actions or utterances that set the stage for interventions that could be fatal to our democracy and the gains we have made over the last two decades”.

“This is the time, despite whatever disappointments we may each feel, to reject considerations of partisan and other interests to come together and make sure first that our country survives and our imperfect democracy continues its march towards progress and a more perfect union,” he added.

“This is the time for political, social, religious, and economic leaders across the nation to work steadfastly together towards the ends of law and due process.

“I am confident we will rise above the worst expectations others may have of us in this defining this moment. We will resist malign actors seeking to exploit this moment of tension for their ends. We will defeat the cynicism of those waiting to see their worst predictions for our country become real.

“Nigeria will be at peace because we will work through the law and due process to resolve differences, settle disputes, and ensure the peaceful transition of power.”