President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received congratulations from Hon. Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, on his victory in the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), saying it was never in doubt that he would win the election.
Kalu claimed that when Nigerians turned out in large numbers to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate on February 25, 2023, they couldn’t have made a mistake. This was stated in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Levinus Nwabughiogu.
According to Kalu, the tribunal’s decision just confirmed the public’s decision and added support for the validity of Tinubu’s election.
In his words, “Kalu said that Tinubu’s victory as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the February presidential election was never in doubt.”
He praised the President for maintaining his focus on governance in the face of apparent attempts by his adversaries to divert him through legal action from the difficult process of repairing the nation.
Kalu encouraged the opponents to embrace the current administration’s goal of “Renewed Hope,” “join hands with the president and all well-meaning Nigerians across all political divides to move the country forward,” and “end the legal journey.”
The five-person panel, presided over by Justice Haruna Tsammani, was lauded by the Deputy Speaker for its thoroughness and skill in applying the law and administering justice.
Although Kalu praised Tinubu’s opponents for strengthening democracy through their actions that put the country’s electoral laws and constitution to the test, he also commended them for choosing to take their complaints to court rather than using violence or other extrajudicial means after the election.
He also expressed his congratulations to Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, for winning the tribunal hearing for the Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of the State.
