You may have received a strange text message from a certain self-styled Presidential Transition Council (PTC), pleading with Nigerians to accept Bola Tinubu as their President. The text message reads: “Presidential Transition Council (PTC) – Let’s maintain unity as one people and one nation. Let’s support the new administration and build a Nigeria that we can be proud of.” Prior to sending this laughable text message, Tinubu himself was begging Nigerians to let bygones be bygones and accept him as their President, on the premise that he would “hit the ground running” upon being sworn in. Isn’t this simply ridiculous or nauseating? After conniving with INEC to rig the February 25th presidential election in their favor, they are now suffering from an illegitimacy crisis and begging Nigerians to accept Tinubu as their President. Buffeted and pummeled on all sides by an illegitimacy crisis and the conscientious conviction that INEC rigged the February 25th presidential election in their favor, they are now pleading with the Labour party to withdraw their case in court challenging INEC’s declaration of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect.

The pertinent questions are: having stolen the people’s mandate in broad daylight and apparently getting away with it, why are these criminals soliciting people’s endorsement and acceptance of their crime? Reflect on it. Think about it. A certain thief has stolen what belongs to you. Now, without repentance and without returning what he stole from you, the same thief dramatically comes to you and starts begging you to endorse his theft or acquiesce to his thievery. Are these criminals who stole the people’s mandate aware that justice comes before unity? Are they aware that God is a God of justice? Are they aware that justice begets mercy? Do they know, as Cicero rightly stated, that “the brightest of virtues shines above all in justice”? Do they know that without justice – giving everyone what he or she deserves – it would be impossible for Tinubu to build Nigeria? Are they aware that the preamble to our 1999 Constitution states, inter alia, that in order to build Nigeria and promote the unity and welfare of all persons in Nigeria, the principles of freedom, equality, and justice must be allowed to prevail? Do they know that justice begets unity and unity grows in the crannies of justice?

Unity has a price tag; it is not something imposed from the top through executive fiat. Unity is earned, not imposed. If you want unity and peace, allow justice to prevail. You cannot claim that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable while simultaneously robbing the people of their mandate. If you desire unity, heal the blistering wound and restore the mandate of the people. Request Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu to announce the correct results of the February 25 presidential elections as recorded in the BVAS. Contrary to Machiavellianism, the end does not justify the means. The Machiavellian doctrine simply teaches that the end justifies the means, suggesting that there is no morality in politics. It implies that a politician could commit any atrocity, such as murder, like Shakespeare’s Macbeth, in order to satisfy their ambitious political goals and later justify it with Lady Macbeth’s words: “a little water cleans us of this deed.” No, Machiavellianism is wrong. Morality exists in politics, and political strategy does not excuse the need for moral discipline. A politician cannot, for instance, commit evil acts to achieve a greater good. They cannot, for example, bribe INEC and Prof. Yakubu to seize political power in the name of improving the welfare of the people. Some argue that, unlike Buhari, Tinubu would turn Nigeria around for the better. In response to such claims, I have always posed the following questions: “How did Tinubu come to power? Did he bribe Prof. Yakubu and INEC to refrain from using BVAS to upload election results on February 25?” You see, one cannot steal what belongs to another and then use the proceeds from that theft for charitable purposes. I recall an incident from the past when there was a notorious armed robber in Benin City. Upon being interrogated after his arrest by the police in Benin, he claimed that he resorted to armed robbery so that he could subsequently use the stolen proceeds to help the poor. In the same vein, Tinubu and his associates are telling us exactly the same thing: “Forget that we stole your mandate. Just support us in building Nigeria.” Have you ever heard of a more irrational pseudo-rationalization?

It is evident that the Tinubu government lacks the necessary popular mandate to hold power. And the only way it believes it can overcome this deficiency is by soliciting acceptance and endorsement through bulk text messages. However, this approach will not work. Text messages promoting support for Tinubu cannot confer legitimacy on the illegitimate Tinubu government. Being an illegitimate government, it will encounter significant opposition and resistance from the public, political rivals, and the international community and institutions. This can lead to political instability, protests, civil unrest, and even violent conflicts among different groups in the country. Illegitimate governments typically lack recognition and support from both domestic and international actors, resulting in diminished legitimacy and credibility, which hinders effective governance. It may also impede international agreements, foreign aid, and diplomatic relations. Additionally, the government may face economic consequences due to a lack of investor confidence, reduced foreign aid or trade partnerships, and internal instability. This can result in economic downturns, increased unemployment, inflation, and a decline in living standards for the general population. Let us pray that the presence of an illegitimate Tinubu government does not lead to external intervention or efforts to facilitate a regime change. Such intervention could involve diplomatic, economic, or military measures aimed at removing the illegitimate government and establishing a more legitimate and stable leadership.

The toleration of injustices in Nigeria is giving rise to more injustices, leading to the ruin of Nigeria. During a public gathering at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite (may he rest in peace) stated that Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu did not declare war against his fatherland, but rather declared war against injustices in Nigeria. According to Dr. Braithwaite, Biafra symbolized the suffering of Nigerians who yearned for justice. Instead of confronting these injustices directly, we hypocritically sweep them under the carpet, pretending that time will heal the wounds caused by these injustices. Unfortunately, the passage of time has not managed to heal the wounds of injustices in Nigeria. Yesterday, they came for the Igbos and conquered them. This explains why an Igbo person cannot be the President of Nigeria. Today, they are coming for the rest of us, intending to massacre the rest of us. Who knows who they will conquer tomorrow? It seems as if we are helpless before them.

When President Buhari unilaterally appointed Prof. Yakubu as the INEC chairman, we remained silent. When Prof. Yakubu facilitated Buhari’s re-election in 2019, we kept quiet. And when the same Prof. Yakubu rigged the presidential election on February 25 2023 in favor of Tinubu, we also kept quiet.

Even before the presidential election on February 25, I wrote the following piece: “Those who are hopeful about the 2023 Presidential election should be reminded that as long as INEC is headed by Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Supreme Court is led by Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, it is not unlikely that another figure of nepotism will be imposed on Nigerians in 2023. The APC is already boasting that it will rule Nigeria for 32 years. I don’t think this is a joke; it is their dream. With the people’s complacency and reluctance to fight their battles, the worst citizens may continue to rule Nigeria for a long time.” Has this prediction not come true? Although Justice Tanko fled the Supreme Court after his fellow Justices leveled corruption charges against him, the Court remains unchanged under Justice Tanko’s successor. With this corrupt superstructure in place, I foresee the APC ruling Nigeria for 32 years. How? Tinubu will appoint his own man as the INEC chairman. His chosen candidate will secure his return to power in the 2027 presidential election. Afterward, the same person will facilitate the election of another APC candidate in the 2031 presidential election. In the Nigerian presidential democracy, the President who appoints the INEC chairman holds sovereignty, not the people.

Sonnie Ekwowusi Is A Legal Practitioner And Writes From Lagos