The ruling APC has lauded Wednesday’s tribunal ruling affirming the 2019 presidential election victory of its candidate, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

It also said it considered the ruling against the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, a “bold step by rescuing our nation from the satanic era”.

The five-member tribunal had earlier dismissed each of the five arguments presented by the petitioners against the declaration of the APC, and Mr Buhari, as the winner of the February presidential election.

An infuriated PDP had earlier released a statement describing the ruling as shocking and unacceptable.

‘Well-deserved victory’

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC spokesperson, in a statement released on Wednesday night following the declaration, hailed the tribunal for ”validating the desires of Nigerians”.

The party also congratulated both President Buhari and Vice Yemi Osinbajo for ”a victory well-deserved.”

It argued that the petitioners, ”hinging their arguments on President Buhari’s qualification and INEC server” had not foreseen that the party (APC) would secure victory.

Below is the full statement:

‘With today’s legal affirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory, the APC congratulates the President; the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; all members of our great party and, indeed, all well-meaning Nigerians on this landmark judgment.

The APC congratulates the judiciary for refusing to succumb to the opposition party’s subterfuge. We note the painstaking efforts and thoroughness of the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in arriving at their decision. Today’s judgment, no doubt, would go down in the annals of our nation as the longest and detailed, spanning almost 10 hours.

The judgement by the five-member validates the decision of most Nigerians to do away with the past as expressed in their overwhelming votes in the 2019 elections.

The PDP and Atiku’s petition was largely hinged on the educational qualification of President Muhammadu Buhari and tales of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) server and allegations of electronic transmission of election results. This was rightly dismissed by the Tribunal for lacking in merit.

From the outset, our party was not perturbed over the PDP and Atiku’s petition, which will go down in Nigeria’s history as the most frivolous in the history of Election Petition. Infact our position has now been justified that the PDP and Atiku’s petition was a complete waste of time. In their puerile efforts, they insisted on taking the country on a circus and wild goose chase,” Mr Onilu said

Going forward, APC’s victory at the presidential polls and the election tribunal represents our collective desire as a people to remain focus on the progressive growth and development of our country’s economy, fight against corruption, and providing security.

Consequently, we have taken a bold step by rescuing our nation from the satanic era of PDP, when our collective interests were being corruptly traded among a few pillagers.

We note, unfortunately, the continuous efforts being made by the unpatriotic elements in PDP, having held our country down for nearly two decades, to truncate our movement towards greatness. We, however, remain resolute in this journey being ably led by President Muhammadu Buhari. The APC administration would lead this country to the fulfilment of its destiny.