Outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari has urged presidential candidates in the February 25 election to accept the decision of the court on their petitions challenging the emergence of President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Buhari made the appeal in a farewell broadcast to the nation on Sunday morning.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on March 1 declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the February 25 presidential election winner.
According to the electoral umpire, the APC flagbearer secured 8,794,726 votes, to defeat Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 6,984,520 votes, and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), who got 6,101,533 votes.
Atiku and Obi have approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal alleging a fraudulent process and asking to be declared the authentic election winner.
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The tribunal began pre-hearing on Monday, May 8 and, last Tuesday, fixed the hearings proper for May 30.
In his broadcast, Buhari said, “This year we witnessed the most keenly contested Presidential Elections since the first Republic and this demonstrates that our democracy is getting better and more entrenched with each election.
“We must as a nation improve and sustain gains we make in the electoral process, on an incremental basis for Nigeria to take its rightful place among Nations.
“Our democracy provides for, allows and encourages seeking redress for perceived injustices, enabling some candidates and political parties that did not agree with the results to go to court.
“Irrespective of the outcome of the various cases, I urge all parties involved to accept the decision of our courts and join hands to build a better Nigeria.”
The president added, “I salute the doggedness and resilience of all the Presidential Candidates and their political parties for believing in our judicial system by taking their grievances with the election results to court.”
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