Last Thursday’s Supreme Court’s verdict on the February 25 presidential election ended the 171-day legal battle between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
The legal battle brought up a lot of issues, surprises and revelations.
It was a long, interesting battle that put the Nigerian judiciary to test, as it highlighted the technicalities of law, with profound evidences brought to the fore from both parties.
At the end of the protracted legal tussle, President Bola Tinubu was victorious.
As the greatest politician of this time, Tinubu was used to victories. And he had also tasted defeats in good measure, especially with the last governorship election in Osun state.
But like every other battles in his political life, the Jagaban of Borgu and the Emilokan of Nigeria won at the Supreme Court, against all odds.
Tinubu’s victory at the Supreme Court was unique because it was one victory that gave the legal legitimacy to his administration as the president of Nigeria.
Victory and defeat are like the two sides of a coin. When you win, you rejoice and you are happy that you succeed. But when you lose, you are sad and you remain focused on the next line of action.
Expectedly, various congratulatory messages have been pouring in for President Bola Tinubu.
Nigerians from all walks of life, including politicians from the APC and the opposition parties have been hailing his victory at the apex court.
But beyond that, I think it is the right time for President Tinubu to fulfill the promises he made to Nigerians during electioneering.
Elections are meant to be won and lost. It is now time for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to translate his victory at the Supreme Court to victory for all Nigerians.
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi might have lost the political battle to unseat the President at the apex court, they are still victorious as Nigerians. Their victories are enduring because they were not cowards.
They pursued their cause legally to the end. And that singular effort is the hallmark of a courageous man and a victor. The greatest glory in life is not in never falling, but in rising each time we fall.
Atiku and Obi should rise to the occasion, by joining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to save Nigeria from the challenges the country is facing at the moment.
And for them, this is the only victory that will live in the memories of Nigerians, and they will be honoured and remembered as heroes and great patriots.
Honestly, this is a defining and very difficult moment in the history of Nigeria. It is also our trying period, because Nigeria is just trying hard to survive as a nation.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for President Bola Tinubu to meet minds with those that truly love this country. Whether they are in PDP or LP, there is the need for intervention.
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A nation is truly lost when majority of the leaders are not on the same page, as to the best way to change and transform ideas into reality.
Now that the battle had been won and lost, I think it is right time for Atiku and Obi to be more patriotic than ever. They should join President Tinubu to bring Nigeria up from its knees.
At the moment, no amount of name-calling, blackmailing and opposition can change the present situation in the country.
In the past, Tinubu and Atiku were political allies and friends and they cannot continue to be seen as political enemies.
While reacting to his victory at the Supreme Court, President Tinubu was emphatic in the statement he personally signed.
He said: “With deep gratitude to God Almighty, I humbly accept today’s judicial victory with an intense sense of responsibility and a burning desire to meet the great challenges confronting our people.
“The victory of today has further energised and strengthened my commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political persuasions, tribes, and faiths, with honour and total respect for the diverse opinions and uniting values of our citizens.
“Our Renewed Hope agenda for a greater and prosperous Nigeria has further gained momentum and I will continue to work from morning to night, every single day, to build a country that meets our collective yearnings and aspirations.
“We are all members of one household, and this moment demands that we continue to work and build our country together.
“The strength of our diversity and the great citizenship that binds us must now compel us forward in directing the energy of our people towards building a virile, stronger, united, and more prosperous country.
“In the days and months ahead, I trust that the spirit of patriotism will be elevated into supporting our administration to improve the living conditions of Nigerians.
“I am prepared to welcome the contributions of all Nigerians to foster and strengthen our collective progress”.
If President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s statement was anything to go by, I think Mr. President has shown the determination of his administration to set Nigeria’s path to progress. It is time for us to move on.
Nigeria is going through a lot as a nation, especially on our economic trajectory.
Nobody would have envisaged that Nigeria’s naira would be drastically reduced to N1,300 to a dollar.
This is the height of economic insecurity. What this portends is that the economic situation in the country is at the lowest ebb and the situation is biting hard on the mass of the people.
Now that his job is secure, Tinubu’s major task as the President is to revamp the Nigerian economy.
It has never been this bad in the history of Nigeria. For a president that is coming on board at a time like this, it is very important for Mr. President to give Nigeria the true leadership that this time demands.
By saving Nigeria from its current economic situation, nobody can believe that the economic situation of this country can be as bad as it is at the moment.
But the reality of the situation has also shown that the country is just surviving on foreign loans.
And the only measure for us to get back on the right track is total overhauling of the nation’s economy.
This is the time for President Tinubu to tell us that he is ready to salvage Nigeria’s future. This is the time for him to tell us that he is ready to change the narratives of this country.
There is no way we can continue to borrow and fulfill the destiny of our nation. It is not reasonable for a country that is so blessed like Nigeria to live on foreign loans.
We are in a difficult situation as a nation. And it is no denying the fact that Nigeria needs a respite from the various difficulties.
We need a radical approach to solve these problems that have set Nigeria backwards.
So, for Peter Obi, there is still another chance and opportunity for him to have a shot at the exalted position, and such opportunity can only present itself again through the votes of Nigerians and not by violent agitations or unhealthy criticism.
And for Atiku Abubakar, it is never an end, but the beginning of another journey.
Remember it is in Nigeria’s history that former president Muhammadu Buhari had a shot at the presidency on three occasions before he won.
As far as I am concerned, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should be courageous enough to join President Bola Tinubu in building the country of our dreams.
With the Supreme Court’s verdict, the statement by some political actors that they will not recognize Tinubu as their president should go into the dust bin of history.
Nigeria is ready to fulfill its dream of being the greatest country in Africa. And Atiku, Obi and their allies should now focus on the nation’s interest.
They should be ready to lend Tinubu ideas that would make Nigeria compete favourably well among the comity of nations.
Now that the apex court has given its verdict, we should forget politics now and go back to business of nation -building.
Atiku and Obi should be ready to work together and be part of efforts at saving Nigeria from its various challenges.
The duo can help the President by giving ideas, advice and also proffer solutions to Nigeria’s problems.
President Bola Tinubu should also work with their blueprints in order to foster unity and expedite nation- building process and also bring hope to the Nigerian masses.
Finally, there is no time for excuses at all. President Tinubu should start welcoming more ideas, from all serious contestants for the number one seat in the country.
As the President of this great nation, he should be ready to accommodate dissenting opinions that are patriotic and genuinely targeted at solving the various challenges bedeviling Nigeria and Nigerians.
.Kehinde Aderemi writes from Lagos
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