The Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have both responded to the allegations made by Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku held a press conference in Abuja to formally address the Supreme Court’s judgment that dismissed his lawsuit challenging Tinubu’s electoral win.
In response to Atiku’s comments, the Presidency issued a statement through the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled, “Time for Atiku Abubakar to finally go away and end his ambition to be President.”
Onanuga stated that Atiku entered the February poll “with a fragmented and tattered umbrella,” suggesting that the People’s Democratic Party’s platform was divided into four parts and therefore unable to secure a victory.
The Supreme Court’s ruling marked the end of the 171-day legal battle aimed at nullifying Tinubu’s election, as it dismissed the appeals filed by Atiku and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
In his response, Atiku criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, describing it as an endorsement of illegality and emphasizing that Nigeria was the ultimate loser in this scenario.
He expressed his disappointment but affirmed that he had accomplished his goal of showing Nigerians the type of President they have, promising to continue his involvement in politics.
Atiku called for constitutional amendments to introduce a six-year single term for the Presidency and ensure the completion of election-related litigation before the inauguration of the winner.
He advocated for a rotational presidency among the country’s six zones to prevent a concentration of power in a few geopolitical zones. Atiku also suggested that INEC should verify candidates’ credentials and publicly declare instances where it cannot do so.
The Presidency criticized Atiku’s response, describing him as a serial loser with an insatiable ambition for the presidency. They urged him to end his unprofitable pursuit of the office.
The National Secretary of the APC, Senator Ajibola Basiru, also labeled Atiku as desperate in response to his remarks.