2023 Election: MSSN rebukes Obasanjo's letter on presidential poll

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been criticized by the Muslim Students' Union of Nigeria, Lagos State Area Unit, for advocating for the suspension of the present presidential election process.

Obasanjo's letter to President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), according to MSSN Lagos Amir (President) Miftahudeen Thanni, "was unnecessary and biased."

In a letter on Monday, Obasanjo called for the collation of the presidential election results to be suspended due to concerns about irregularities raised in some quarters. He also urged Buhari to persuade the Independent National Electoral Commission to cancel elections in the affected polling units.

In the statement by Thanni, he “expressed shock that a former president would be suggesting actions capable of truncating Nigeria’s democracy.”

Thanni said, “Can other elders admonish former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to put the nation into a blazing fire? That letter was unnecessary at a point when the country is tense.”

He added that Obasanjo “probably has a mission unknown to many of us. As an elder statesman, we expect him to be calling for calm and not heating the polity.

“This electoral process must continue and by God’s willing the antics of forces trying to bring disunity among Nigerians will fail. Why should an ex-president be making unconstitutional suggestions? The votes of the people must count. The ideal step to take is that any aggrieved candidate should seek redress in court. Truncating the election is a piece of bad advice.”

However, the MSSN amir expressed concern regarding INEC's inability to electronically transmit election results, saying, "Though we are also concerned regarding INEC's inability to transmit election results, the letter by Obasanjo shows that he's acting on a script and has a dangerous mission that must be checked. Or are the findings that are being released in Abuja different from those that were released at the state level?

“We do not want anarchy in this country. It is our future that is at stake not that of Obasanjo. The president and INEC should jettison the former president’s bias, distorted thoughts and suggestions.

“Buhari must ignore people who want to spoil his legacy through suggestions that are capable of having an interim government in Nigeria.”

Thanni advised Buhari that, “Dear President, please discard Obasanjo’s letter. This process must be completed. The choice of the people must be respected and declared. The whole world is watching. 

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