Former President of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has celebrated President Bola Tinubu, his Deputy Kashim Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), following the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal’s verdict on Wednesday, September 6 affirming Tinubu’s victory.
In Buhari’s statement through his Media aide, Garba Shehu, the recently past president commended the Tribunal, saying they had “written history” by delivering justice according to law, in spite of eminent intimidation and prejudices.
The statement read in part:
“If anybody has won today, it is the democracy and the people.”
“With the verdict of the Supreme Court, the election period is over and it is time to put the heat and dust behind us.
“From here, the new APC administration led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should get the support of everyone in order to deliver the promises it made to the people,” the former president said.
Buhari also thanked Nigerians for maintaining calm and showing massive supportive throughout the period of the judgement. He said it was his earnest prayer that the APC-led government will move the country forward.
Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi in March, filed petitions against President Tinubu, challenging his victory at the February 25 presidential polls.
However, the tribunal dismissed the series of charges against President Tinubu in one of the longest verdicts in Nigeria’s history (lasted for over 12 hours), and affirmed him winner of the February 25 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has since rejected the tribunal’s verdict, saying their next move will be communicated soon.
In a statement, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, said there was no justice served in the verdict, because it wasn’t in line with the law and the people of Nigeria.
“The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today, and we reject the outcome of the judgement in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.
“Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned, but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious.
“What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people’s will prevail.
“We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers, who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria, but we refuse to give up on Nigeria.
“Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgement is made available to us,” Ifoh said in the statement.
