Don’t waste resources in challenging Tinubu’s victory, scholar advises

A public affairs commentator, Prof. Isaac Albert, on Saturday advised the country’s leading opposition parties to stop any further challenge of the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.

Albert told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan that this would be better and help prevent a further waste of resources at the Supreme Court.

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) had on Wednesday affirmed the result of the election which had President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.

He had beaten Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) to the second and third positions respectively.

Albert, an expert in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan, said going by the analyses of the judges, the opposition parties were beaten hands down.

“They just could not prove their cases.

“Also, the argument that a certain number of votes cast in the FCT could make or mar the victory of a contestant was clearly laid to rest through unambiguous constitutional explanation.

“From my observation, the tribunal had done over 80 per cent of the job for the Supreme Court, that is if the opposition decides to appeal the judgment.

“Therefore, I think that it will be a waste of time and resources for those challenging Tinubu’s victory because they have no evidence,” the scholar said.

The don noted that the judgment was not only exciting and educative, but would also be remembered for treating all the issues based on their constitutionality.

In his own views, a former Commissioner of Justice in Oyo State, Adebayo Ojo, described the verdict as the best in the history of Nigeria’s electoral system.

Ojo said the court dealt with the contentious issues appropriately and in a way no court could find any fault with the conclusions.

“In my 30 years of being at the Bar, I have never seen a judgment as good as this.

“Certainly, this is a plus for our democracy and judiciary in particular and there is nowhere this verdict is given that it would be overturned.

“The opposition can play the game of sentiments by saying any negative thing about it, but the truth has been revealed at the end,” he said.

Also, Prof. Gbade Ojo, an expert in Comparative Politics, said the diligence of the judges unfolded the fact that having dual citizenship could not stop one from becoming Nigeria’s President.

Ojo, who is a former Chief of Staff to the Governor in Oyo State, said the victory would deepen democratic governance and give the administration legitimacy.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should capitalise on what was recorded in the 2023 general elections to improve all other areas begging for improvement.