Electoral Appeal – YMCMPP
With the 2019 election season gradually, tediously and most importantly, “eventually” coming to a close, we the greatest party ever in the history of Nigeria, (though yet to be officially inaugurated) have noticed an ugly trend.
As the future ruling party of Nigeria, it behooves on us to tackle this insidious pattern.
As Nigerians, electoral appeals, both significant and ridiculous ones altogether have come to become an important aspect of our electoral process. We eagerly anticipate after the final vote is cast to see which party or candidate will be the first to show up at the courthouse.
Members of the YMCMPP have been taking bets to see if a candidate will appeal before the results are being announced, while the results are being announced or after the results have been announced. Some of us even go as far as wagering on how many parties and how many cases will eventually come up in court.
This is why it was very saddening to see members of the current ruling party in Nigeria, the All Progressive Congress, coming out to implore, beg and cajole Atiku Abubakar and his party, the People’s Democratic Party from going to appeal the outcome of the Presidential Election in court.
What is even more disturbing was watching some women come out to protest, or more appropriately, demonstrate and urge Atiku Abubakar to accept the result of the election and concede defeat.
Where was all this concern when then Muhammad Buhari went to court after each of his three previous losses at the poll? Why didn’t anyone advise Godswill Akpabio not to appeal his own loss? He didn’t even wait for the election appeal court before instituting his appeal, he went to lodge his complaint before a regular court. Probably his lawyer or party eventually educated him on why he should have put the case before an electoral court.
Most importantly, one of the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation and as a democracy is the refusal of people to go to court and seek redress when they perceive that they have been wronged. If Karma were real, when eventually it decides to deal with all pending Nigerian cases before her, Justice Karma already has her work cut out for her.
In the meantime, in the interest of deepening democracy and building institutions rather than men, it is best that everybody, including Local Government Chairmen, Ward Counselors and even Voters, who feel that the will the electorate did not prevail should go to the court and appeal for justice.
Nigeria will only become the nation we want it to be, when we decide to put in the little extra work.
Wilson Joshua is a Video Editor, Content Creator and Creative Writer.
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