The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has said the 2023 general election was marred with irregularities and violence.
OsunDaily News reports that the union stated this in a communiqué issued at the end of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting Lagos.
The communiqué was signed by the President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha, and Afolabi Olawale, respectively.
NUPENG noted that the just-concluded 2023 general election was not perfect and was characterized by increasing and unending spread of hate, ethnic and religious bigotry by politicians, religious leaders, elites and youths.
It, however, vowed to resist any attempt to foist interim or undemocratic government on Nigeria after May 29, and urged aggrieved presidential candidates to seek redress in court or concede defeat instead of heating up the polity.
The communiqué reads: “Council-in-session unanimously agreed that though the election may not be perfect or meet the pre-conceived outcome of some individuals, in every election like all games, a winner must emerge as well as losers and that there are ample provisions in the electoral laws of the country for any aggrieved party to seek redress rather than heating up the polity and polarising the country.
“All aggrieved individuals and parties should do what is expected of any decent and law-abiding democrat, which is to concede defeat, congratulate the winner or go to tribunal to seek redress.
“The NEC-in Session affirms that the 2023 general elections marked another watershed in the democratic journey of our nation wherein the youths adequately mobilised and participated in the electoral processes, and wherein the political parties of 20 sitting governors lost to opposition parties and quite unlike before wherein seven sitting governors lost their bids to become Senators after their tenure expired as governors of their respective states.
“The Council-in-session admits that without any doubt there are still some irregularities in the conducts of the election but opines that rather than fan embers of division and disillusionment among Nigerians, patriotic Nigerians should rise in unison to galvanize the citizenry to mend broken relationships and heal whatever wounds might have been inflicted on one another and collectively strive towards improving our electoral processes as we move forward.
“The Council-in-session condemns in very strong terms the inciting and seditious statements of some individuals, who were in very unfortunate manners calling out the Military to take over power, and people to take up arms against the inauguration of a new government/installation of an interim government.
“The NEC-in-Council finds those statements most irresponsible, reprehensible, and very unfortunate.
“The NEC-in-session reiterates that NUPENG as a Trade Union is widely known to have fought and sacrificed the lives of our members and leaders for the restoration of democracy in the country and shall not sit on the fence and watch some undesirable elements drag this nation back to that path of the dark days.
“We will definitely resist all agents of destabilization and put all our resources and might on the table for the growth and development of democracy in our country.
“The Council-in-session admits that without any doubt there are still some irregularities in the conducts of the election but opines that rather than fan embers of division and disillusionment among Nigerians, patriotic Nigerians should rise in unison to galvanize the citizenry to mend broken relationships and heal whatever wounds might have been inflicted on one another and collectively strive towards improving our electoral processes as we move forward.”
