2023: Congratulate winners, avoid Court Case, Mark urges politicians

Senator David Mark, a former Senate president, has advised people who will lose in the upcoming general election to congratulate the winners rather than file a lawsuit.

Mark asked all parties involved in the electoral process, as well as Nigerians as a whole, to rise to the challenges of holding free, fair, credible, and acceptable elections that will withstand the test of time in February 2023. He also called for an end to the politics of resentment.

The senator said, “All the stakeholders—the Independent National Electoral Commission, the political parties, the security agencies, the media, and civil society organisations—should take it as a call to national service to ensure hitch-free polls.”

Mark stated in his New Year goodwill message to Nigerians.

He said, “I crave an electoral process that is devoid of irregularities. I hope for an election result that will not attract litigation where the loser willingly congratulates the winner.

“This is the foundation and a sure way towards the socio-political and economic emancipation of the country.”

He acknowledged that Nigeria’s political history had been turbulent in terms of electoral difficulties and expressed the hope that lessons learned from the past would be applied to the conduct of the 2023 elections.

However, Senator Mark was confident that if everyone played by the rules, the results of the elections in 2023 would be acceptable to all parties involved.

Senator Mark cautioned against electoral violence that portends grave danger for the country.

As a result, he urged election candidates to educate their supporters against any act that could jeopardise the process.

Irrespective of different political affiliations, Senator Mark reminded gladiators that everything must be done to protect and preserve the interests and territorial integrity of the country, saying, “Whichever way it goes, we have no other country than Nigeria.”