A public affairs commentator, Prof. Isaac Albert, on Saturday advised the country’s leading opposition parties to stop any further challenge of the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.
Albert told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that this would be better and help prevent a further waste of resources at the Supreme Court.
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) had on Wednesday affirmed the result of the election which had President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.
He had beaten Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to the second and third positions respectively.
Albert, an expert in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan, said going by the analyses of the judges, the opposition parties were beaten hands down.
“They just could not prove their cases.
“Also, the argument that a certain number of votes cast in the FCT could make or mar the victory of a contestant was clearly laid to rest through unambiguous constitutional explanation.
“From my observation, the tribunal had done over 80 per cent of the job for the Supreme Court, that is if the opposition decides to appeal the judgment.
“Therefore, I think that it will be a waste of time and resources for those challenging Tinubu’s victory because they have no evidence,” the scholar said.
The don noted that the judgment was not only exciting and educative, but would also be remembered for treating all the issues based on their constitutionality.
In his own views, a former Commissioner of Justice in Oyo State, Mr Adebayo Ojo, described the verdict as the best in the history of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Ojo said the court dealt with the contentious issues appropriately and in a way no court could find any fault with the conclusions.
“In my 30 years of being at the Bar, I have never seen a judgment as good as this.
“Certainly, this is a plus for our democracy and judiciary in particular and there is nowhere this verdict is given that it would be overturned.
“The opposition can play the game of sentiments by saying any negative thing about it, but the truth has been revealed at the end,” he said.
Also, Prof. Gbade Ojo, an expert in Comparative Politics, said the diligence of the judges unfolded the fact that having dual citizenship could not stop one from becoming Nigeria’s President.
Ojo, who is a former Chief of Staff to the Governor in Oyo State, said the victory would deepen democratic governance and give the administration legitimacy.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should capitalise on what was recorded in the 2023 general elections to improve all other areas begging for improvement.(NAN)
You’ve lessons to learn from tribunal judgment, APC chieftain tells INEC
A former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South Africa, Mr Bola Babarinde, has advised INEC to use lessons learned from the Wednesday’s tribunal judgment to improve on the conduct of future elections in the country.
Babarinde gave the advice on Saturday in a congratulatory message to President Bola Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court(PEPC).
He urged the electoral body to use the few lessons learned from the tribunal verdict to conduct free and fair governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa.
While celebrating Tinubu’s victory at the tribunal, Babarinde called on the president to be magnanimous in victory, and listen more to criticism and suggestions from citizens for good governance.
He said the peak of the tribunal process was the judgment that struck out the petitions of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party candidates for lacking in merit.
“The culmination of the whole election tribunal process is the judgement that struck out the petitions of the PDP and Labour Party candidates while declaring President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election,” he noted.
Babarinde said that since the petitions had been won and lost, Nigerians should put the nation first by bringing ideas on board irrespective of political affiliations to make the country great.
The APC chieftain suggested that the Tinubu’s administration should rename the fuel subsidy palliatives as social responsibility palliatives for the vulnerable people should be managed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.
“There must be subsidies on some basic items that affect the lives of the vulnerable and poorest of the poor in Nigeria.
“Deployment of accurate data and digital innovation is key to accurate delivery of this good governance devoid of reckless corruption as it would be better managed for effective distribution and impact.
“This period should be a sober reflection period for our leadership to show some austerity in their lifestyles and sincerity of purpose in making sure they identify with concerns and plight of Nigerians.
“To show they are also sacrificing as their fellow citizens in the efforts towards repositioning the country during this period of economic reforms,” he said. (NAN)