For President Bola Tinubu, his party the All Progressives Congress, APC, and supporters, it is a thrill of victory after the Supreme Court affirmed him as the duly elected president of Nigeria. But in the opposition’s camp, it is the agony of defeat.
The national chairperson of the APC Abdullahi Ganduje via a statement on Thursday said the judgement of the apex court has laid to rest all claims by the opposition political parties and their candidates that votes were manipulated in favour of President Tinubu on February 25.
“Tinubu’s victory is another victory for democratic rule in the country,” Ganduje said.
“I congratulate both Atiku and Obi for their dogged fight in extending the frontiers of our democracy and law,” he added, “There is still room for both Obi and Atiku to actualize their presidential aspiration after the second term tenure of President Tinubu in 2031.”
President Tinubu on his part lauded the judiciary for “upholding the rule of law” notwithstanding the “fusillade of pressure and attempts at intimidation by some political actors.”
“It was affirmed once more today, that my party, the governing All Progressives Congress, had freely and fairly won the popular mandate of Nigerians, which has since given rise to my leadership of this great nation at a tumultuous period of unprecedented reforms in our history as a nation,” he said.
The President added, “The victory of today has further energised and strengthened my commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political persuasions, tribes, and faiths, with honour and total respect for the diverse opinions and uniting values of our citizens.”
Judgement is disappointing – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the judgement, saying it is “appalled” by the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Tinubu’s election and presidency.
“It is indeed a sad commentary for our democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law,” Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary of the party said in a press release on Thursday shortly after the court delivered its verdict.
Ologunagba said the judgement is against the “clear provisions” of the Nigerian constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022.
“Nigerians earnestly expected the Supreme Court to uphold and defend the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution in terms of qualification and minimum requirement for a winner to be declared in a presidential election in Nigeria, especially with regards to the required statutory 25 per cent of votes in the FCT as well as issues of violation of electoral rules and guidelines, brazen manipulations and alterations of election results by the APC,” he noted.
According to PDP’s statement, “This judgement by the Supreme Court has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man.”
We are disappointed, but we will move on – LP
The Labour Party, LP, also rejected the outcome of the 2023 presidential election tussle.
The national chairperson of the party, Julius Abure said the “sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded.”
“We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex court will toe the line of an earlier judgement despite all the flaws associated with the judgement delivered by the presidential election appeal tribunal,” Abure’s statement on Thursday read.
The LP chair said that though the party is “disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise,” it has “no other choice but to move on.”
“We have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation,” he added.
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