Gowon advises Nigerians to accept Tribunal’s verdict on presidential election petitions
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has urged Nigerians to accept the decision of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as it begins sitting on Monday, May 8.
Gowon, 88, said this at a symposium in honour of a one-time Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Chike Idigbe on Thursday.
He urged Nigerians to allow the tribunal to do its work without interference.
The event was attended by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Alfa Belgore; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; and some Senior Advocates of Nigeria.
Recall that after Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, declared All Progressives Congress’ Bola Tinubu the President-Elect, his opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP), faulted the declaration and filed a petition challenging the victory of Tinubu.
Tinubu won the election with 8.8 million votes. Atiku scored 6.9 million votes, while Obi polled 6.1 million votes.
Atiku and Obi are disputing the result on the ground that; 1) Tinubu didn’t get 25% in Abuja. 2.) That he was convicted in the U.S over deals in narcotics for which he forfeited over $400,000 to the United States government, hence, ineligible to contest for the presidency of Nigeria. 3,) Vote rigging. 4). Non declaration of his alleged second citizenship in Guinea. 5) Canceled votes being more than the margin of lead.