Nigerian cardinal John Onaiyekan attends a mass at the St Peter's basilica before the conclave on March 12, 2013 at the Vatican. Cardinals moved into the Vatican today as the suspense mounted ahead of a secret papal election with no clear frontrunner to steer the Catholic world through troubled waters after Benedict XVI's historic resignation.The 115 cardinal electors who pick the next leader of 1.2 billion Catholics in a conclave in the Sistine Chapel will live inside the Vatican walls completely cut off from the outside world until they have made their choice. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS (Photo credit should read GABRIEL BOUYS,GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
The Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has debunked news of him asking Nigerians to accept Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress as president-elect following the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He stated his position in a statement on Friday signed by his personal secretary, Fr Emmanuel Adugba.
This was in reaction to a report that he, during his homily at the Church of Assumption Asokoro, asked Nigerians to “accept the result of the 2023 presidential election as announced by INEC” described the outcome of the exercise as “tragically questionable results” most especially the “consequent legitimacy” of Tinubu who was declared the winner.
Onaiyekan said the author of the post made it look as if he urged Nigerians to accept the results after the winner had been declared, whereas he made the appeal on the morning of February 26 before collation began.
Adugba said, “This appeal was made with the belief then shared by most Nigerians that the process and the outcome of the election will be free, fair and credible as promised by INEC. Unfortunately, the result turned out to be totally different.”
The cleric added, “After a tragically questionable election. His Eminence blatantly refuses to be drafted into boosting non-existing credibility of results and its consequent legitimacy of the declared winner. His Eminence is a firm lover of peace, but never at the expense of truth, and justice. God bless Nigeria.”
