The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege, have congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the president’s resounding victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The Tribunal on Wednesday dismissed the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in its entirety.
In separate statements issued, the senators said the verdict was a confirmation that Nigerians gave Buhari their mandate to be the president.
“The judgment of the tribunal has again put a judicial seal on the mandate freely given to the president by the Nigerian people in the February 23 presidential election,” said Lawan.
Lawan urged the president to accept the affirmation of his election as a reminder of the confidence of Nigerians in his capacity to continue to lead Nigeria towards its manifest destiny of greatness.
The Senate President said the Nigerian people had great expectations from the Next Level Agenda of the president and further pledged the full cooperation of the National Assembly with the Executive in the pursuit of the best interest of the Nigerian people.
Lawan also commended the petitioners for using the judicial window prescribed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in seeking redress for their grievances and urged them to join hands with the government and the Nigerian people in the important task of nation-building.
In his message, Omo-Agege said he joined millions of Nigerians in congratulating the president.
Omo-Agege said his “overwhelming electoral victory” was won on the basis of a populist mandate as well as on the strength of the nation’s constitution.
He said further: “Your victory and that of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) at the February 23 Presidential election was not only visible to the blind but audible to the deaf as our progressive ideals resonate profoundly with the genuine hopes and aspirations of our people.
“Today’s judgement only affirmed the conviction of many who have consistently maintained that with the over three million vote margin between you and your closest challenger, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Domocratic Party (PDP), it was glaring that they were merely embarking on an academic exercise at the tribunal.
“It was no surprise, therefore, that the petition of Atiku and the PDP was torn to shreds and dismissed unanimously by the five-man panel. Like we were taught in law, you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.
“As you continue to strive towards making our dear nation the envy of other nations through your Next Level Agenda, remain assured that the 9th Senate will provide the enabling environment for the actualisation of our progressive objectives.
“My family, constituents and other well-meaning Nigerians felicitate with you on this landmark victory which has taken an avoidable distraction out of the way, even as we look forward to renewed collective vigour – under your principled leadership – against inherited developmental challenges.”
