President Bola Tinubu on Thursday told his political aides that their jobs are guaranteed following Supreme Court’s confirmation of his election as presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress during the 2023 presidential poll.
The aides, including the State Chief of Protocol (SCOPE), Victor Adeleke; his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale; Aide de Camp (ADC), Lt. Col. Nurudeen Yusuf and other security and civilian appointees, had gathered in his office at the State House in Abuja immediately after the court’s pronouncement to congratulate him on his victory.
President Tinubu, who happily received them announced, first to Ngelale and Adeleke that their jobs were safe before the ADC, who spoke on their behalf congratulated Tinubu, saying “Gentlemen, we want to congratulate the president having been confirmed by the Supreme Court as a five-star General, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
This was followed by the observance of a short prayer for the president on his victory.
Some state governors were also among the earlier callers at the seat of government to celebrate with President Tinubu over the Supreme Court’s affirmation of his victory.
They include Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), Abdulrahman Abdulrazak (Kwara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Rev. Fr. Hycinth Alia (Benue).
It was not clear whether Diri’s purpose in the Starmte House was to congratulate the president as he is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who is seeking re-election as governor during the November 11, 2023 gubernatorial election in Bayelsa state.
The governor, along with others, however, rejoiced with the president on his victory with the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, informing the president that Diri would have come earlier to see him but was busy with his governorship campaign, which Tinubu acknowledged.
Speaking to newsmen after felicitating the President, Benue Governor, Fr. Alia said the president’s victory at the Supreme Court will enable him to focus on the business at hand.
He said: “It is quite exciting because now we are going to move ahead. I know that our president has great plans for the nation and particularly in my state and I will not want us to miss out on that at all.
“His victory is not just a victory for the nation but those of us who are not on the same page for growth and development as it is intended. It is a larger victory for all of us. These (Judiciary) are people who are meticulous with the books.
“Today is a blessing for Nigeria that our sitting president carries the day. Please, let us all join hands with him to take our nation to higher heights because he has not just the potential, he has already started exhibiting what will bring our further growth.”
On his part, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described Tinubu’s victory as historic and a beauty that comes with the power of inclusiveness.
According to him: “The highest judicial body in our country has expressed itself very clearly. There were no dissenting voices; there were seven of them that were on the same page. That tells us that whatever might have been the differences, let us put it behind us, it is a victory for all.”
Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, also congratulated the President, the opposition, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all Nigerians over the court victory, saying President Tinubu’s success at the court will reflect rightly on the lives of all Nigerians.
He also called on the opposition to sheath its sword and support the government to succeed, saying “if Mr President succeeds, it is Nigerians that succeed and we are praying and working hard that Mr President should succeed because when a leader succeeds, it touches on all the followers”.
On how the judgement must have reflected on the INEC, considering the fact that the electoral umpire is preparing to conduct the governorship election in his state, Bello said “INEC’s reputation is never in question or in doubt at all.
“All the jobs they have done have been affirmed by the Supreme Court today and I’m confident that in the Kogi election, more successes will be recorded by INEC, by the good people of Kogi state and of course, APC posed to win with landslide and massive votes in the upcoming election, based on our performance and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President”, he said.
In his reaction, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, lauded the Supreme Court for dispensing the case in line with global best practices, noting that this would be setting a precedence for similar cases at the appellate or Supreme Court.
“More importantly, by this judgement, the Supreme Court has also put to rest a lot of issues that will now become precedents in law. I’m sure that some other cases where either appeals have been filed at the appellate level or the Supreme Court, will probably be withdrawn”.
He, however, expressed the view that the opposition figures who challenged President Tinubu’s victory in court now have to show that the mean well for the country from the onset by either going to sleep or congratulate and support the President.
“If that opportunity does not present itself for you now and the courts and people have chosen who they want, if you really do mean well for the country, what you need to do is congratulate that person, join hands with that person to ensure that what you want to do is achieved, that the common man gets the best of governance”, Abiodun said.
Also reacting to the judgement, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, said Tinubu’s victory was not unexpected as according to him, they knew that it would be the case.
He said: “To God be the glory. It is not something unexpected. It is something that we have been waiting for. We know ultimately, what we heard today is what is going to be said but the fact that it has come at this early hours, we have nothing to say, but to say thank God for Nigeria.
“Thank God for all the good people of Nigeria who prayed for this particular day for this historic victory.
“I think this time around, after this pronouncement, we have no excuse, but to go back to business as usual, to go back and reset our agenda and see what we can be able to do for the people of Nigeria for the next three and a half or four years.”
Abbas appealed to the opposition to support the government to move the country forward, adding: “They should take heart. There is always one victor at a time. This is Asiwaju’s time, They should all take heart, come and join hands with him so that we move Nigeria to a greater level.”
Speaking in the same vein, Secretary to Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, noted that the victory was a revalidation of the mandate which the Nigerian people gave him.
“The highest court, the Supreme Court, spoke loud and clear that mandate was freely given. That is what we want in this country.
“We want stability, we don’t want distraction. The president has taken off beautifully and he has the interest of the people at heart. So far, the choices he’s making are tough but at the end of the day, they will make for a better tomorrow. So, we are very happy with what has happened today, Nigerians are celebrating”, the SGF stated.
On his part, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake congratulated President Tinubu on his triumph at the Supreme Court, which affirmed his victory as duly elected president.
The Minister asserted that the sanctity of the people’s will as expressed at the polls has prevailed, urging the opposition to join hands with the President in delivering the Renewed Hope agenda.
His words: “I congratulate the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) on his triumph at the Supreme Court, today. Indeed, the affirmation of his victory in concurrence with the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) is a further testament to the sanctity of the mandate, freely given to him by the Nigerian people.”
” With the apex court ruling, electoral litigation has come to an end, therefore, I urge the opposition to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship and congratulate the President whilst joining hands with him to revamp the economy and deliver dividends of democracy to Nigerians” the Minister stated.
Alake appealed to Nigerians, irrespective of how they voted in the last election to support the administration and have faith in ongoing reforms, stressing that the present temporary pains will soon ease out.
” There is a lot of ongoing reforms that will soon yield fruits. Part of it is renewed efforts to diversify the economy with a focus on solid minerals. We have developed a roadmap for the mining sector, which will address challenges faced in the sector and open it up to massive local and foreign investments. The multiplier effect of this will lead to immense jobs and make solid minerals a major revenue earner for the country, in a short while,” the Minister added.
In his reaction, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, has enjoined opposition parties that challenged President Tinubu’s victory in court to see the Supreme Court affirmation on Thursday as victory for everyone, including them.
According to him, the opposition should regard the development as case of “no victor, no vanquished”.
He said: “My message to the opposition is they should take this victory as a victory for all of us, including them, because what it is. There is no victor and no vanquished.
“Since the Supreme Court has decided and is the highest echelon of judiciary in this country and they have decided, though one of them (defeated candidate) said he’s appealing to God, we are all appealing to them to go for the right direction, where prosperity and hope will be renewed for all of us”.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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