- Wait till 2031, Ganduje tells opposition parties
- Atiku, Obi courageous, say Adebayo
It was different strokes yesterday for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) on the judgment of the Supreme Court.
The parties were reacting to the apex court verdict which dismissed the appeals filed by the candidates of the PDP – Atiku Abubakar and that of the LP – Peter Obi.
The PDP and the LP expressed their disappointment with the dismissal of their appeals against the ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC), which affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the election.
But the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Gaduje, told the opposition parties that there would be no vacancy at the Presidential Villa until 2031.
He described the affirmation of President Tinubu by the apex court as victory for democracy.
Wait till 2031 for your ambition
Dr. Ganduje advised former vice president Atiku and one-time Anambra governor Obi to wait till 2031 to actualise their presidential ambition.
He gave the advice shortly after the Supreme Court upheld Tinubu’s victory in Abuja.
In a statement by his spokesman, Edwin Olofu, the APC chair told the two presidential candidates that there is no vacancy in the Villa until 2031.
He, however, admonished the two leaders that hope is not lost for them as they can still actualise their aspiration after eight years.
The statement reads: “This is democracy. Tinubu’s victory is another victory for democratic rule in the country. There is still room for both Obi and Atiku to actualise their presidential aspiration after the second term tenure of President Tinubu in 2031.”
Ganduje commended both Atiku and Obi for their dogged fight to extend the frontiers of our democracy and law, by taking their case to the apex court.
SDP: ruling couldn’t have been different
The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) at the February 25 poll, Prince Adewole Adebayo, said yesterday’s verdict came as he had predicted
Adebayo’s party came sixth in the election contested by 18 parties.
Congratulating the president on his victory at the at the apex court, the lawyer-turned politician, said he and other politicians should look forward to 2027 for another elections.
Writing on his official X handle, @Pres_Adebayo, he said: “Once again, as I did when @inecnigeria declared @officialABAT duly elected as President of Nigeria, I warmly congratulate @officialABAT on his Supreme Court victory upholding the Court of Appeal judgment. I pray that neither Mr. President, nor Nigerians will regret this day. God bless Nigeria.”
He insisted that the court should not be blamed because the Supreme Court had just upheld its well-established precedent and done justice according to the laws of Nigeria.
Commending Atiku and Obi for fighting their battle up to the apex court, Adebayo however urged them to take another shot at the presidency in 2027. He said: “The courts are not to blame. Exactly as I had predicted to the letter, the Supreme Court has upheld its well established precedents and done justice according to the laws of Nigeria. Kudos to @atiku and @PeterObi. @officialABAT won. We shall vie again in 2027.”
LP dismayed
LP National Chairman Julius Abure said his party’s was disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment.
Urged its supporters to be vigilant and brace for the challenges ahead, Abure said: “The leadership of LP watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party’s Presidential candidate and the APC Presidential candidate.
“We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex Court will toe the line of an earlier judgment in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.
“Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on. We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation.
“We weep for our Institutions that cannot rise to the occasion and courageously defend democracy and the voices of our people.
“However, there are great lessons to be learnt. What transpired in Nigeria since the February 25 presidential election is a clear testament that our institutions are not working and that we may be sliding towards dictatorship.
“It is very clear that the executive has hijacked both the judiciary and the legislature. This is so unfortunate for our democracy and it is even more for the people of Nigeria.
“All what our forbearers taught us has been destroyed within a short space of time because of the unbridled ambition of a few. The founding fathers fought with their lives to achieve independence for the country.
“People lost their lives for the struggle to keep our democracy and all these years people have been struggling to achieve electoral and constitutional reforms. Regrettably, all of these efforts and struggles have been destroyed today.”
He expressed the fear that opposition parties and their members might be vilified for their actions.
He said that “persecution, intimidation, suppression and harassment of our leaders using security agencies and all other government institutions will be definitely defended.
“We are therefore calling on all our members, and the Obidient family to be vigilant and brace up for the challenges ahead. The struggle for a new Nigeria will certainly be tortuous and hard.
“Finally, we urge Nigerians not to lose hope in our Country. Though we are paying a huge price to achieve a Nigeria of our desire, we are hopeful that we will get to our destination someday because where there is a will, certainly, there will be a way. A new Nigeria is still possible.”
Verdict disappointing, concerning, PDP laments
The PDP lamented the loss of its former presidential candidate at the apex court in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
Ologunagba described the judgment as “disappointing” and “concerning”. According to him, “the apex court has failed Nigerians”.
The PDP spokesman said the party was alarmed and gravely concerned with the decision of the highest court, saying the opposition party believed the judgment was against the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022, the Guideline and Regulation, issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The statement reads: “The PDP is appalled by the judgment of the Supreme Court in the petition filed by the PDP and presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar against the declaration of the APC and Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winners of the February 25, presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The PDP, and indeed majority of Nigerians, are alarmed, disappointed and gravely concerned with the reasoning of the Supreme Court which the PDP believes is against the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, the Guideline and Regulation issued by INEC under which the election was conducted.
“The PDP asserts that it is indeed a sad commentary for our democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law. Instead, it trashed the expectation of majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a Temple of Impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter having regards to the laws and facts of the case.”
He claimed that some Nigerians expected the court to uphold and defend the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution in terms of qualification and minimum requirement for a winner to be declared in a presidential election in Nigeria.
Ologunagba was referring to the required statutory 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which the apex court clarified yesterday.
The PDP statement further reads: “This judgment by the Supreme Court has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man.”
The party said it however remained undeterred and charged Nigerians not to be discouraged or allow the judgment to detract from their collective quest for the entrenchment of a credible electoral system that can guarantee a government that truly derives its legitimacy from the people.
