Queue behind Buhari and move on – Oshiomhole counsels Atiku over loss at election tribunal

Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) has advised Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the opposition, to queue behind President Muhammadu Buhari and help build the country.

Mr Buhari had trounced the PDP candidate at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) where the latter who partitioned the tribunal failed to “prove beyond reasonable doubt why he should be declared winner of the February 23 election.”

TODAY POLITICS had reported how the legal counsel of the petitioners vowed to challenge the decision of the tribunal at the Supreme Court.

Mr Oshiomhole reportedly gave the advise on Thursday while in the company of the party’s National Women Leader, Salamatu Umar-Eluma, and others who went to congratulate the president over his victory at tribunal.

The APC chieftain also said should the opposition choose to head to the apex court in the land, his party alongside the president are ready to slug it out and defend the mandate given to them by Nigerians.

“We as a party we are confident that if it is within the Nigerian law for the PDP to go even to the World Court, we will meet them there,” Mr Oshiomhole was quoted by Punch Newspaper to have said.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria is not that of the PDP or the APC. The Supreme Court is governed by law and it’s to interpret the evidence before the Court of Appeal. They are not at liberty to introduce new issues, neither can they bring in new witnesses.

“So, if it is what I heard yesterday, which I believe you also heard; thanks to the media, most Nigerians were detained for eight hours listening to arguments of the judges one after the other. Even though we thought it was getting longer and longer, we realised that they tried to deal with the issues raised, even the ones you and I as laymen will consider inconsequential. They dealt with each of them, trashed them and arrived at a conclusion.

“So, I don’t want to sound arrogant. Yesterday (Wednesday), I said that I hoped this whole contest is about Nigeria, who actually won the election and both parties were committed to building Nigeria. It’s not about who should be given the key.

“Now, this has been resolved and it is time to queue behind the winner and move on. Our winner is the best example that losing an election is not tantamount to the end of your political life. He lost three previous elections, and today he is the President.

“President Buhari is now ready to meet defeated Atiku Abubakar at the Supreme Court. The APC is ready to meet the PDP at the Supreme Court. Adams Oshiomhole is ready to meet my brother, (Uche) Secondus, at the Supreme Court; and he will take second and I will take first, Isha Allah,” Mr Oshiomhole said.

Why I Women Finance Minister – Buhari

Playing host to the delegation, Mr Buhari said he choose to hand over the nation treasury to women because they manage resources effectively.

“Since the coming into power of this administration, I have handed over the treasury to women,” the president said.

“Even at household level, you hand over the money to women to manage. It can be taken to the level of managing the country’s treasury as well. I have consistently given it to women. It is strategic,” he added.