On behalf of the Chairman APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen Professor Adesegun Labinjo and indeed the entire members of APC Diaspora Chapters, this is to congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on the affirmation of their victory by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Given the phenomenal performance of the President on the campaign trail, it was no surprise that he won the February presidential election hands down. However, and in line with the electoral process, an aggrieved party or candidate in an election reserves the rights to go to court to challenge its outcome.
However, approaching the courts to challenge an opponent’s victory is not the same thing as using every given opportunity to discredit the country’s electoral process. This was exactly what was witnessed in our country as the supporters of the one of the parties resorted to all manners of abuse and intimidation in an effort to scuttle the process. They went as far as bringing the Justices presiding over their candidate’s petition to the fray. Their principal who should have called them to order appeared to be encouraging their strange and undemocratic antics.
Fortunately, members of the Tribunal rose to the occasion and called the bluff of these noisy elements by delivering a verdict so detailed and so revealing. They took their time in tearing the petition to shreds to show Nigerians that the petitioner has failed woefully to meet the test of adequate preparation and presentation required in this type of serious and important electoral matters. In doing this, the Justices have demonstrated that the judiciary will never be intimidated by any persons or group of persons under any circumstances. Although we’ve known from the onset that President Tinubu won the election, it was nice to finally get this presidential election petition out of the way as it had become an irritant and a public sideshow.
On his part, our President has hit the ground running as soon as he was sworn in. His cabinet is in place, and he has continued to deliver on his Renewed Hope Agenda. President Tinubu is well known for his big ideas and transformative vision. As the governor of Lagos State, he brought his capacity for huge accomplishments to bear on the state, making it the best in the country. He’s already replicating that at the federal level as he’s currently in India working to facilitate investments, the like of which Nigeria has never witnessed before. The agility and seriousness with which the President is approaching government business has set the tone for those in his cabinet that there is no time for laziness and incompetence in their respective portfolios. That’s what leadership is all about and Nigeria is blessed to have such a leader at these challenging times.
Once again, congratulations to the President, his Vice and indeed all Nigerians in the unequivocal affirmation of this electoral victory. A feeling of a new dawn has descended over our beautiful country ever since Asiwaju was elected to steer her affairs in the right direction. We must all be part of this national rediscovery by playing our roles as patriotic and supportive citizens to ensure the birth of a new Nigeria that we all desire.
Omololu Nick Apata
Publicity Secretary APC Committee of Diaspora Chairmen
