Muhammadu Buhari, the immediate past president, on Thursday, in his reaction to the Supreme Court judgement, which upheld the election victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said Nigeria deserves a break after a tortuous eight months of expensive legal journey.
Buhari, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Malam Garba Shehu, urged the opposition to take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima APC government, having exhausted their rights as constitutionally allowed, while advising them to allow the government to run their administration and the people to have the benefit of the promises the All Progressives Congress (APC) made.
Buhari said the decision to dismiss the appeals by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party by the Supreme Court was a welcome relief to him and to a majority of the citizens.
The former president repeated what he said on the earlier 6 September verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which affirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory that the welcome decision is “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 opposition has fought a good fight. Having now exhausted their constitutional rights, they should take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima APC government.
“Let them allow the government to run their administration and the people to have the benefit of the promises the All Progressives Congress, APC made.”
The former president expressed concern over the low voting percentage nationwide, especially in urban areas. He said this should change given the acceptance and vibrancy of democracy in Nigeria while wishing the President and his team a successful term in office.