Former President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed the Supreme Court ruling dismissing the appeals by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) against the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.
The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed the election of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s president in the 2023 general election.
Abubakar and Obi had asked the court to declare each of them the winner of the election and to nullify the declaration of Tinubu’s election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). However, the Supreme Court found no merit in their claims and upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Reacting to this Supreme Court verdict, Buhari, in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, described the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday as a “reaffirmation of the will of the majority of the people against the determined will of a hard-fighting minority.”
Buhari, while wishing Tinubu and his team a successful term in office, said that the opposition had fought a good fight and should now accept the outcome of the election and allow the Tinubu/Shettima government to focus on delivering its campaign promises to Nigerians.
“Now that we have arrived at the last bus stop, after a tortuous 8-months of expensive legal journey, the nation deserves a break. The opposition has fought a good fight. Having now exhausted their rights as constitutionally allowed, they should take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima government. Let them allow the government to run their administration and the people to enjoy the full benefits of the promises the All Progressives Congress (APC) made.” Buhari said.
The former president expressed concern over low voting percentages all over the country, especially in urban areas, and said this should change, given the acceptance and vibrancy of democracy in Nigeria.
