Political office holders and other politicians have been responding to the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the appeals of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, together with their presidential candidates, against President Bola Tinubu’s election.
President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election conducted on February 25 was affirmed by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
In its decision, the highest court dismissed the petitions filed by Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for president.
Under the direction of Justice John Iyang Okoro, a panel of seven judges dismissed the opposition’s appeals, finding Tinubu ineligible to run for president and accusing him of election code infractions and fraud.
Moments after the Supreme Court denied the appeals of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the APC Chairman, Abdullahi Gnduje, the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, all praised the ruling and declared that it was now time for the President to concentrate on governance.
Ganduje said,
“Pertaining to the acceptance of this verdict, I urge our colleagues, politicians to accept it. I also have to use this opportunity to congratulate the leaders of other political parties because it is better for them to resort to the judiciary which they have done rather than taking against each other.
“So we have to congratulate our politicians for resorting to the judiciary and the judiciary has done well, it means that democracy is getting matured in Nigeria and we are happy with that.”
For Gbajabiamila, the opposition exercised their rights by approaching the court but said that all that must end now so that the President can focus and take the country where it should be.
“For me now is the time for all Nigerians particularly the President to roll up his sleeves and continue with the governance. This has been a distraction, the litigants exercised their rights to go to court but all that has to come to an end now, we all come to come together as one country, one people and move ahead and take this country to where rightfully it should be,” Gbajabiamila said.
Also reacting to the Supreme Court judgment, FCT Minister Wike said with the outcome, there should be no more speculations.
“I didn’t come with the APC crew and in court here there is nowhere they said APC and PDP. I came here as someone who wants the country to move forward. So I congratulate the president and I think that this has come to an end, no more speculation so Mr President will be focused and do what he is supposed to do for Nigerians,” Wike said.