PROF. Jonah Onuoha of the Department of Political Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka, has urged aggrieved candidates in the Presidential and National Assembly election results to seek redress in court.

The Don told News the Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Nsukka on Tuesday that in every election, there must be winners and losers but that if any candidate felt cheated, he or she should go to court for redress.

“That is why election tribunals have been set up to enable those who are not comfortable with election results, announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ventilate their grievances at the tribunal.

“The beauty of democracy is that, there is provision for aggrieved candidates to challenge the result of any election in court.

“With enough facts and figures, the court has power to restore stolen mandate by removing a person unlawfully declared winner by the commission,” he said.

He, however, advised candidates and their political parties to avoid anything that would overheat the polity and result in post election violence.

“Political parties should also avoid any thing that will result in post election violence, because it causes more harm than good.

“Therefore, I urge the candidates to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting defeat and winners to be generous in victory by carrying everybody along.

“Candidates should also place national interest above personal interest; whoever lost a particular election may emerge victorious someday.”

Onuoha commended Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the measures put in place to ensure the success of the 2019 general elections.

“No election in any part of the world is perfect, there must be one complain or the other which is normal in an election.

“I must confess the commission did well in the last Saturday elections, to the best of my knowledge, the election is credible.

“However, the commission should correct whatever lapses experienced on Saturday elections as well as complaints by Nigerians.” (NAN)

– Feb. 26, 2019 @ 12:45 GMT |