Otu Oka-Iwu, the umbrella association of Igbo lawyers, has congratulated the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for winning the keenly contested presidential elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 28, 2015.
The Igbo law society also commended President Goodluck Jonathan “for sacrificing personal ambition on the altar of national unity, peace and development,” saying that Jonathan would go down in history “as having kept faith with his commitment to deepen Nigeria’s electoral process and nascent democracy.”
They extolled the President for his uncommon display of statesmanship in congratulating the president-elect even before the final results were declared. “This action is responsible for the absence of post-election violence in the country,” the lawyers said.
In a statement by Mr. Zik Obi II and Mr. Emeka Nwadioke, President and Publicity Secretary respectively, the association also congratulated the Vice President-elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) whom they described as “one of our own.”
While lauding Buhari’s steadfastness in continuously seeking a presidential mandate to lead Nigerians, the association said such tenacity “could only have been driven by sheer commitment to make a difference in the lives of fellow Nigerians.
“It is especially gratifying that the President-elect has committed himself and his administration to the promotion of democracy and the rule of law,” the statement said, adding that “his pledge towards just and principled governance where no-one is oppressed due to favouritism based on ethnicity, religion, region, gender or social status is eminently refreshing.”
The association noted Buhari’s assurance that a level playing field would be created in the area of law enforcement, such that Nigerians of all social strata are equal before the law, urging the incoming administration to “speedily initiate reforms that will curb the plethora of ills facing the justice sector.”
“We further note General Buhari’s commitment to combat the twin evils of terrorism and corruption,” said the law society. “Corruption has long been identified as perhaps Nigeria’s most irksome drawback. We support all efforts to rout these challenges in order to put Nigeria on an irreversible march to greatness.”
Source : Independent
