Catholic Bishops in Nigeria Express Concerns Over PEPT Verdict
The Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has voiced its concerns about the verdict of the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal (PEPT) in Nigeria. The tribunal had dismissed petitions filed by PDP’s Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi against APC’s President Bola Tinubu, citing a lack of merit.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2023 second plenary assembly of the CBCN in Abuja, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the president of the CBCN, expressed apprehensions about the state of Nigeria as the case moves to the Supreme Court.
Archbishop Ugorji voiced concerns about the conduct of the elections, stating that they fell short of people’s legitimate expectations and moral and legal standards. He also criticized the “dismissive approach” of the tribunal toward the petitions of Atiku and Obi.
Ugorji highlighted that despite the substantial allocation of taxpayers’ money for the BVAS technology, which was intended to enhance the electoral process, the tribunal questioned the expectation of INEC to keep its promises and adhere to electoral regulations regarding the electronic transmission of election results.
As the case progresses to the Supreme Court, Ugorji emphasized the importance of upholding justice and the rule of law, praying that the judges would not compromise on these principles.
He also expressed concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria and called on the government to fulfill its primary responsibility of safeguarding citizens’ lives and property.
On the economic front, Ugorji decried the rising poverty, chronic hunger, and economic hardships faced by Nigerians, exacerbated by the abrupt removal of fuel subsidies, the floating of the naira, and high inflation rates. He noted that government efforts to mitigate the effects of subsidy removal had not yielded significant results, leaving millions of Nigerians in economic distress.