The legal battle to know who indeed won the Nigerian Presidential Election held on February 23, 2019, has ended in favor of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Tanko Muhammad, who led six other members of the apex court’s panel, delivered the three-sentence judgment which put paid to the legal dispute over the poll.
Shortly after the Supreme Court delivered the judgment, Atiku, the APC, the Senate President, Dr Ahmed Lawan and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, reacted.
Atiku said although the Nigerian judiciary had been sabotaged by a dictatorial cabal, his spirit was not broken by the judgment. The APC advised the former vice-president to stop what it called destructive agenda.
While delivering the judgment, the CJN said the reasons for the decision of the court would be disclosed on a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the case.
He disclosed that members of the panel had read all the documents and exhibits filed in the case for two weeks and found the appeal to be lacking in merit.
He said, “We have examined all the briefs and the exhibits for over two weeks and we agree that there is no merit in this appeal. The appeal is dismissed. (Our) Reasons to be given on a date to be announced.”
Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, hailed the judgment.
He said, “This matter (Atiku’s case) is now closed…the opposition, as much as the government, must now move on; and without the need for further distractions.”
He stated, “The government – and people of Nigeria – have been aware that the result of the February 23, 2019, presidential election has been settled for some eight months.”
Buhari said “The former Vice President and his political party exercised their rights, under the Nigerian Constitution and Electoral Laws, to petition the courts and dispute the result of the election.
“The elected President and his government now must be enabled to focus solely on addressing the issues that concern the country.”
Hitting the Supreme Court, Atiku, in a statement in Abuja, said “the Nigerian judiciary has been sabotaged and undermined by an over-reaching and dictatorial cabal.” He said the judgment did not break his spirit.
According to him, the judgment is part of democratic challenges Nigeria must face as a nation.
He asked, “Can Nigeria continue like this? Recently, a former United States Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, averred that Nigeria had rolled back the democratic gains she made in 2015. When democracy is rolled back, the economy, society and the judiciary will not be far behind. Today, the nail has been put on the coffin and the gains we collectively made since 1999 are evaporating, and a requiem is at hand.
“In a democracy, you need a strong judiciary, a free press and an impartial electoral umpire. Nigeria has none of those three elements as of today.”
Atiku said, “I must accept that the judicial route I chose to take, as a democrat, has come to a conclusion. Whether justice was done, is left to the Nigerian people to decide. As a democrat, I fought a good fight for the Nigerian people. I will keep on fighting for Nigeria and for democracy and also for justice.”
But the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, described Buhari’s victory at the Supreme Court as a victory for democracy.
He stated, “I want to urge Mr Atiku Abubakar, who has put to the test our justice delivery system by contesting the election result from the lowest to the highest court, and the PDP to accept the judgment in good faith and in the spirit of sportsmanship and help the government in building a strong, prosperous and united Nigeria.”