The Nigeria for Peace Project (N4P), a civil society group, has commended President Bola Tinubu for maintaining neutrality in all the election cases in the Supreme Court, especially those involving states won by opposition parties.

In an open letter to Mr Tinubu on Wednesday, the group said he demonstrated nationalism, patriotism, and democratic culture by ensuring the independence of the judiciary.

The N4P convener and co-convener, Ibrahim Waiya and Mulade Sheriff signed the letter.

“The president’s action has proved that he is a true democrat, patriotic and selfless leader and also a leader who believes in the national interest above partisan and selfish interest,” the letter stated.

It added, “The cases created tension and fear capable of igniting crises if justice were not served. Indeed, we commend your resilience for supporting all efforts aimed at upholding democratic best practices which emphasise the recognition of the people’s mandate.

“We equally acknowledge the steadfastness of our respected justices at the Supreme Court for demonstrating patriotism and for not allowing themselves to be used to suppress the will and mandate of the Nigerian citizens.”

The group noted that this singular effort “has helped to restore the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary, avert potential political conflicts and chaos in the affected states, and across the country, as well proved that the judiciary is the last hope of the masses and indeed the temple of justice.

The N4P said the election petition judgments of January 12 would be celebrated in the history of Nigerian democracy.

It added that the judgments also redeemed the Nigerian judiciary’s image, saving Nigeria’s democracy from collapse at a time when Nigerians have almost lost confidence in the system.

They believed that the apex court’s judgments in all the election petition cases had asserted its supremacy in the land, with highly learned men and women ready to make sacrifices to save Nigeria.

While congratulating the governors for their victory, the group implored them to collaborate with the federal government, support the efforts to revamp the nation’s economy, and critically address the nation’s security challenges, including poverty.

(NAN)