PEPT: Obi, Atiku should have been graceful like Jonathan – Ben Bruce

Following the recent Presidential Election Petition Tribunal ruling, former federal lawmaker Ben Murray Bruce has weighed in on the legal challenge initiated by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Ben Murray Bruce, a prominent figure in Bayelsa, offered his insights in response to the Tribunal's decision, emphasising that the court route was an unnecessary choice for Atiku and Peter Obi. The core contention of their legal challenge revolves around the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that Bola Ahmed Tinubu secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.

In a significant setback for Atiku and Peter Obi, the Tribunal upheld Tinubu's victory as Nigeria's elected President. Despite this legal setback, both individuals are poised to proceed to the Supreme Court to seek final resolution.

Ben Murray Bruce, however, expressed the view that the legal course of action undertaken by the two politicians could have been avoided. He cited the precedent set by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, when Jonathan gracefully conceded defeat by congratulating Muhammadu Buhari even before INEC officially announced the election results. According to Bruce, once the electoral umpire has declared a winner in an election, there should be no need to protract the process with legal battles.

"We must follow the Jonathan doctrine and accept the people's verdict in the interest of democracy and the nation," Bruce asserted. He strongly urged that elections should not routinely culminate in court proceedings, emphasising the importance of respecting the will of the electorate.

As a prominent member of the PDP, Ben Murray Bruce further counseled the aggrieved politicians to acknowledge the Tribunal's verdict and prioritise the national interest over personal concerns. He unequivocally stated, "Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the duly elected and undisputed President of Nigeria," and advocated for a unified stance following the Tribunal's judgment.