Peter Obi has described the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed Bola Tinubu’s election as Nigeria’s president as a breach of the citizens’ trust in the judiciary.
The apex court had some weeks ago dismissed the appeals of Obi, who contested under the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 presidential election, and that of his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Atiku Abubakar challenging Tinubu’s victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
But while reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, Obi accused the apex court of ignoring evidence which he said further dampens citizens’ trust in the judiciary.
“Without equivocation, this judgment amounts to a total breach of the confidence the Nigerian people have in our judiciary. To that extent, it is a show of unreasonable force against the very Nigerian people from whom the power of the Constitution derives,” Obi said during a world press conference at the LP National Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
“This Supreme Court ruling may represent the state of the law in 2023 but not the present demand for substantive justice. The judgment mixed principles and precepts. Indeed, the rationale and premise of the Supreme Court judgment, have become clearer in the light of the deep revealing and troubling valedictory remarks by Hon. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, (JSC) on Friday 27th October 2023.”
‘This is Not the End’
Despite the Supreme Court verdict, Obi told his supporters that the quest for a new Nigeria has not ended.
“Where the value and import of the recent Supreme Court ruling ends is where our commitment to a New Nigeria begins. Our mission and mandate remain unchanged. From the very onset, our mission has been more about enthroning a new Nigeria,” the LP presidential candidate added.
“It is a new nation where things work, where the country is led from its present waste and consumption orientation to a production-driven economy. Our commitment is to a nation anchored on the principles of prudent management of resources to quickly pull millions out of multidimensional poverty, ensuring transparency and accountability in the equitable distribution of opportunities, resources, and privileges.
“In the new Nigeria, we aim to address all unmet needs by showing compassion for all those left behind by the present system.”
Credit: Channel Television
