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ORGANIZATION OF NIGERIAN LAWYERS IN DIASPORA (ONLID)
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1110 Canvasback Court, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 USA +1301.256.5927
alloylaw@yahoo.com
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PRESS RELEASE |
Thursday, February 28, 2008 |
THE
TRIBUNAL RULING IN FAVOR OF YAR’ADUA IS COMPLETE VINDICATION OF MAURICE IWU AND
INEC
- As the counterpart professional association
comprised of Nigerian Lawyers in Diaspora, ONLID
commends the Tribunal judgment which upheld
Professor Maurice Iwu’s declaration of Yar’Adua as
the winner of the 2007 presidential election.
- Just like other eminent Nigerians in the
Diaspora have done, ONLID hereby joins in
congratulating Professor Iwu and President Yar’Adua,
and calls for an end to all legal challenge to
Yar’Adua’s election and any further call for Maurice
Iwu’s sack or resignation.
- It is the position of ONLID that the Tribunal
judgment represents a complete vindication of
Maurice Iwu and INEC and supports the proposition
that the outcome of the 2007 elections is a true
reflection of the popular will of Nigerians.
- ONLID believes that all Nigerians should now
join the international community in commending
Professor Iwu for daring to conduct the elections
and seeing to a successful transition despite a
faulty legal order and the impossible obstacles
posed to the conduct of the elections by forces
outside Iwu’s control.
- ONLID calls on all trade and professional
associations to be vigilant to any attempt by
political combatants to use their platform to
threaten Professor Iwu’s tenure and President
Yar’Adua’s government and to see such moves as part
of a larger conspiracy hostile to the national
security of the Federation of Nigeria.
- ONLID calls on President Yar’Adua and the
National Security Advisor to see any threat of mass
action from any trade or professional association
against Yar’Adua’s election and Maurice Iwu as a
prelude to a bourgeoning plan to overthrow the
present constitutional order.
- ONLID commends the Nigerian army for remaining
loyal to the government of the day and for issuing a
warning to those who might want to engage in
overawing the government and fomenting trouble in
the polity.
- ONLID encourages Iwu to stay on because
resignation or sack is never an option after an
election umpire has been vindicated; and the nation
needs some stability represented by an
un-reconstituted INEC leadership on hand to deal
with any fallout from the remaining election
petitions. We hereby urge President Yar’Adua not to
hesitate in re-appointing Professor Iwu to serve the
next tenure as the Chairman of INEC so that Nigeria
will again benefit from his uncommon courage and
competence in delivery on difficult elections.
Signed: Aloy Ejimakor, Esquire
Convener/Executive Director
Washington DC,
February 28,
2008 |
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