PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC PARTY, PDP, REJECTS SUPREME COURT VERDICT ON PRESIDENT BOLA TINUBU

With the Supreme Court passing judgment on the appeals of the People’s Democratic Party and the Labour Party as well as their presidential candidates against the election of President Bola Tinubu, political office holders and other politicians have been reacting to the judgment. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election. The apex court in its ruling dismissed the appeals by the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party, LP, counterpart Peter Obi.

A seven-judge panel led by Justice John Iyang Okoro ruled as without merit the opposition appeals over claims of fraud, electoral law violations, and Tinubu’s ineligibility to run for president. Reacting moments after the apex court dismissed the appeals by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory; Nyesom Wike all hailed the judgment and said it’s now time for the President to focus on governance. 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. Also reacting to the Supreme Court judgment, FCT Minister Wike saidwith the outcome, there should be no more speculations.

In another development, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, says the Supreme Court verdict affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory in February 2023 poll is disappointing and thrashed the expectations of Nigerians. Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Labour Party, LP’s Peter Obi had appealed the verdict of the Presidential Election Petitions Court, PEPC, which upheld Tinubu’s win. However, the apex court on Thursday dismissed their appeals, saying they lacked merit.

In the wake of the judgment, the main opposition PDP described it as disappointing, according to a statement signed by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba. The party accused the Supreme Court of condoning serious issues of forgery, falsehood and perjury on the altar of technicalities. It, however, urged Nigerians not to be discouraged or allow the judgment to detract from their collective quest for the entrenchment of a credible electoral system.