The founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Chekwas Okorie, expressed his contentment with the verdict delivered by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja. He pointed out that both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi’s strategy at the tribunal primarily revolved around exploiting technicalities rather than specifying the polling units where they believed they were unfairly denied votes.
According to Okorie, the petitioners’ failure to provide concrete evidence of the polling units or collation centers where they were allegedly deprived of legitimate votes ultimately undermined their case. Instead of demonstrating substantial non-compliance with electoral laws, their approach relied heavily on scoring technical points, which ultimately proved unsuccessful.
Okorie also highlighted a notable aspect of the 1999 constitution, suggesting that it couldn’t have been intended to grant the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) superior status over other states in the Federation. He praised the unanimous decision of the five judges on the Tribunal, which was broadcasted extensively, and concluded that President Tinubu’s declaration as the rightful winner of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election was well-founded.
He extended his congratulations to President Tinubu and Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima, expressing confidence that the results would remain the same even if Atiku and Obi chose to appeal the judgments. Okorie urged the President to focus on the challenging task of governing the nation effectively, emphasizing the urgent need for restructuring Nigeria’s geopolitical structure.
Highlighting President Tinubu’s commitment to true federalism, Okorie believed that significant progress could be achieved under his leadership. He called upon Nigerians to support the President and his administration while urging opposition parties to engage constructively and patriotically in their criticisms of government policies and actions.
Finally, Okorie emphasized the legislative responsibility to revisit electoral laws, addressing existing gaps and ambiguities to ensure smoother and less contentious elections in the future.