President Bola Tinubu

By Jethro Ibileke

The Network of former Ministerial Aides (NETMA), has congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and all Nigerians on the Presidential Election Petition Court judgement that affirmed their victory in the 25 February, 2023 presidential election.

NETMA, (an association of all former Aides of Ministers who served in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari), in a statement Wednesday night, by its Chairman, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, described the judgement as victory for democracy and rule of law.

Recall that the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel on Wednesday dismissed the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar and his party, the PDP against the election of President Bola Tinubu, for lacking in merit.

The petitions filed by the Labour Party (LP) and it’s candidate in the election, Peter Obi, was also dismissed by the panel.

According to the statement, “The much-awaited judgement has vindicated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which declared President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima as the winners of the presidential election in line with the mandate freely and willingly given to them by Nigerians.

“This is a victory for democracy; a victory for the rule of law; a victory for participatory democracy; a victory for Nigerians who voted for President Tinubu and most importantly a victory for the rule of law that protects the inviolable rights of Nigerians to freely participate in the electoral process without any form of hindrance, molestation or encumbrance.

“The judgment, which was very lucid, brilliant and intelligible will help to enrich the electoral jurisprudence in Nigeria and further deepen the nation’s democratic transformation. The truth about the conduct of the last presidential election as demonstrated by this judgment will be as constant as the northern star.”

“We are enthralled that throughout the period of the litigation, President Tinubu remained unruffled, calm, focused and doing everything to reposition the country for economic prosperity.

“Every unbiased follower of election petitions knew that the petition was bound to fail. A close look at the cases filed by the petitioners showed that they were speculative, conjectural, and merely academic and they were instituted primarily to assuage the sentiments and emotions of their social media followers that unfortunately did not justify the sleepless nights many Nigerians have been subjected to since the commencement of the judicial process.

“Although, millions of Nigerians were not in doubt as regards the mandate they freely gave to President Tinubu to steer the ship of the country for the next four years, the opposition politicians were also not wrong to have approached the court to seek redress as they merely exercised their fundamental rights to test the country’s judicial system rather than resort to street protests to ventilate their disapproval of the election result. We commend them on this count.”

Ugbodaga who is a former SA to the immediate past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, however urge the petitioners, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to accept the verdict in good faith and join hands with President Tinubu and his team to build a united, stronger and prosperous nation that present and future generations of Nigerians can be proud of.

“Let them help to mobilize their supporters across the country to join in the process of national reconciliation, cohesion and rejuvenation in line with the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.

“We call on them to set aside their political differences with the current administration and unite their followers behind President Tinubu for the sake of our country despite their constitutional rights to appeal the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court to the Supreme Court,” he said.