Following the Supreme Court’s confirmation of President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 polls, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has suggested that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, should bide their time until 2031 to pursue their presidential ambitions.
Ganduje commended the apex court’s decision and expressed optimism about the future for both Obi and Atiku. In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Edwin Olofu, he stated, “There is still room for both Obi and Atiku to actualize their presidential aspiration after the second term tenure of President Tinubu in 2031. This is democracy. Tinubu’s victory is another victory for democratic rule in the country. I congratulate both Atiku and Obi for their dogged fight to extend the frontiers of our democracy and law.”
The APC Chairman called on all Nigerians, regardless of their political affiliations, to support President Tinubu in delivering more benefits of democracy and advancing the country towards sustainable progress. He emphasized that the responsibility to move the nation forward lies with all patriots.
Ganduje noted that the Supreme Court’s verdict had put to rest claims by the opposition that the presidential poll had been manipulated in favor of Tinubu. He believed that this outcome would enable President Tinubu to focus on implementing the ‘Renewed Hope’ mandate of the APC for the betterment of Nigerians.
Ganduje’s remarks followed the apex court’s dismissal of the appeals by Atiku and Obi. A seven-judge panel ruled that the opposition’s appeals, which raised concerns about fraud, electoral law violations, and Tinubu’s eligibility to run for president, lacked merit. The Supreme Court rejected all grounds of appeal by Atiku and the PDP, including issues related to qualification, compliance with the Electoral Act, the 25% votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and allegations of electoral malpractices.
