Kogi state governor, Yahaya Bello on Thursday, September 7, said appealing the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) would be needless, adding that there are no grounds for appeal.
Governor Bello, who expressed the view while speaking to journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after a meeting with Vice President Kashim Shettima, advised opposition parties and their candidates to save their resources, saying there was no flaw with the court’s verdict.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), along with their presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively, had filed petitions against the election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 Presidential Election.
The PEPC, however, on Wednesday, September 7, threw out the petitions, affirming President Tinubu’s victory at the election.
Reacting to the court verdict when asked by journalists, Bello said the court had let the truth out in its verdict, admonishing the challengers to save their efforts as the judgement is unassailable.
He said: “Nothing is as successful as success. We are happy; Nigerians are happy and the truth is out there. We appreciate all that happened yesterday. The truth has been exposed. Imagine the justices sitting down for almost fourteen hours to deliver those landmark judgements yesterday.
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“Nigerians within the country and in the Diaspora are happy and I think it’s time to settle down and face governance and I advise all those that feel aggrieved, that we have only one country, Nigeria, they should all come together and support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensure that we fix this country.
“Whatever hardship we are facing today is the effects of the past. Definitely, we have Mr Fix It who is trying his best, travelling around the world to ensure that Nigeria is fixed. So we are happy the matter is settled.
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t think there is any ground for appeal. I will rather appeal to them that they should drop any appeal, go to the higher court and then save the resources, save the trouble, advise their supporters, and admonish them that they should accept yesterday’s judgement. No flaw. I thank God for all that happened yesterday”, the governor advised.
Reacting to the loss of two senatorial seats by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi state at the tribunal, Governor Bello expressed optimism that the party would reclaim the seats through lawful means, saying it would be three senatorial seats for the party in the state at last.
The tribunal had previously invalidated the election results in 94 polling units, leading to a rerun in Kogi East, where the APC’s senator, Jibrin Isah, was removed. Additionally, the tribunal declared PDP’s Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as the victor in the Kogi Central Senatorial election.
“This is democracy and they have the right of appeal. I think they will take the appropriate steps to ensure that no violence is orchestrated anywhere. We will follow the due process of the law and whatever will be the outcome at the end of the day, we’ll abide by it.
“But I want to assure you that even judging from the pronouncements yesterday at the appeal court, we are going to have our 3/3 Senate in Kogi state, I can assure you.”