As the Supreme Court gears up to deliver its much-anticipated judgment on the contested February 25 presidential election, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), along with the two opposition parties—the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP)—have expressed unwavering confidence in their victory.
The legal battle revolves around the declaration of President Bola Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the poll. The Presidential Election Petitions Court had earlier dismissed the petitions filed by the PDP and LP challenging Tinubu’s victory. Undeterred, the opposition parties and their candidates, Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Peter Obi (LP), approached the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the previous ruling.
The Supreme Court’s Director of Information, Dr. Festus Akande, announced on Wednesday that judgment would be delivered on Thursday, intensifying the already charged atmosphere surrounding the case.
APC’s Confidence:
Bala Ibrahim, the APC Director of Publicity, exuded confidence in the upcoming judgment, stating that the apex court would affirm Tinubu’s victory based on the compelling evidence presented.
He said, “Certainly, we are still sure of victory. In fact, our optimism is even stronger now because all the facts presented that day were in our favor. We are very confident in the integrity of the justices of the Supreme Court, and we have no doubt in our minds that there is nothing to give us any iota of doubt with regards to getting justice tomorrow (Thursday).”
LP’s Optimism:
Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, maintained an optimistic outlook, asserting that their candidate, Peter Obi, would emerge victorious.
Edun countered doubts, saying, “We are expecting victory. We have presented our case before the court, and even at the Court of Appeal, we have tabled fresh facts. Don’t mind all these talks about how the law cannot accommodate fresh evidence. Which law says that? If something has happened and you want justice, if there is still time, we will put in everything we want to add. So, we are confident we will get victory for Nigerians and the Labour Party.”
PDP’s Appeal for Broad Consideration:
Ibrahim Abdullahi, the PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, appealed to the Supreme Court, urging them to look beyond narrow considerations in their judgment.
He emphasized, “We are appealing to their conscience to see beyond the narrow considerations that have characterized the way the judiciary has acted in recent times. That is approbating and reprobating at the same time. It is important to know that there is a country that we are bequeathing to our children and grandchildren yet unborn. If we have decided to say that the crop office comes with a fraudulent judgment that we have seen lately and gives that kind of priority over the expectations that the country has on them, then it will be unfortunate.”
As Nigeria braces for the Supreme Court’s decision, the political landscape is charged with anticipation, and the parties involved remain steadfast in their expectations, each confident of emerging victorious in this pivotal legal contest.
