TheCable

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has praised the supreme court for its verdict on the appeals of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election, and Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the vote, had sought to overturn the judgment of the petitions tribunal which affirmed Bola Tinubu as president.

Both candidates had challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election, the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to transmit election results electronically, double nomination, a drug forfeiture case in the US, the president’s academic records, among other issues.

But in a unanimous verdict on Thursday, the supreme court dismissed the petitions, saying they lacked merit.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Garba Shehu, Buhari’s spokesperson, said the former president described the ruling as a “welcome relief to him and to a majority of the citizens of Nigeria”.

Buhari said the verdicts are “a reaffirmation of the will of the majority of the people against the determined will of a hard-fighting minority”.

“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 statement reads.

“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.”

The former president also expressed concerns over low voting percentages across the country, especially in urban areas.

Buhari said this should change, given the acceptance and vibrancy of Nigeria’s democracy.

He also wished President Tinubu and his team a successful term in office.