As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, close their case at the tribunal, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations for Tinubu/Shettima 2023 has implored the former vice president and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi, to withdraw their petitions filed against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The pro-Tinubu CSOs appealed to the PDP and LP flagbearers to join hands with the president in the proposed national unity and all-inclusive government for national interest.
The duo are currently before the presidential elections petitions court where they are contesting Tinubu’s emergence as winner of the February 25 presidential election on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, national coordinator of the coalition, Lilian Ogbole, said it was imperative for the Atiku and Obi to review their stance on the outcome of the poll now that the new Tinubu-led government has demonstrated its willingness to work towards peace, development and progress of the country.
She premised the coalition’s position on the notion that well-meaning Nigerians and the international community have started commending Tinubu on the decisive steps he has taken so far in addressing issues of grave national concerns.
Igbokoye said, “We resolved to say unequivocally loud and clear, here and now that the victory in the last presidential election is a victory for all Nigerians regardless of their political affiliation and alignment, religion or tribe, it is indeed a victory for Africa, the entire black race and of course victory for the entire world and humanity at large; it was a no victor no vanquish election.
“President Bola Tinubu’s government has thus far proved beyond every reasonable doubt to be transformational in nature with huge potential to reunite, revitalize, renew and reposition Nigeria for a breakthrough to an uninterrupted era of progress and prosperity, hence the need for all hands to be on deck.”
The CSOs maintained that the transformational reforms and socio-economic policies and initiatives President Tinubu has introduced within 30 days in office are gradually resulting in accelerated relief and reassurance of hope in his Renewed Hope Agenda for not just Nigerians but the entire Africa.
They pointed out that as stakeholders in the Nigerian project, it became necessary to call on all selfless, well-meaning Nigerians and patriots across party lines to sheath their swords and embrace the transformational government of national unity and all-inclusiveness.
Urging Atiku and Obi to withdraw their case against Tinubu, the national coordinator continued: “Even though we are aware that it is the fundamental right of all aggrieved candidates to seek for redress in the court of law, in the national interest we wish to use this avenue to crave the indulgence of all aggrieved candidates who are seeking redress in the tribunal to withdraw their litigations against the president and join hands with him in the proposed national unity and all-inclusive government.”
The coalition further stated that the priority of all candidates of other political parties is to do same selflessly in the national interest since Tinubu is playing out their intentions they could and should go a step further to synergize with him to achieve the same patriotic purpose,
This, it said, is the only way to prove to the world that their struggles are not personal and selfish but are rather in the national interest and quest to restore the dignity of man through the initiation and implementation of people-friendly policies and programmes.
It appealed to all elder statesmen across the country to invite all aggrieved parties to a round table meeting and appeal to them not to subvert the will of the people through distractions but join hands with the government that was willingly elected by Nigerians to change their story.
