Tension in Presidency over Supreme Court’s ghost votes for APC in Imo

• Buhari reiterates promise to free, fair election in 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari may have become troubled by the rising cases of electoral filthiness perpetrated to acquire political power in disregard to populist decisions and choices of leaders across the country. Accordingly, President Buhari appears to have become conscious of the established transparent, free and fair electoral processes by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of former President Goodluck Jonathan which he was principal beneficiary in 2015. Reports of electoral frauds, manipulations and allegations of influencing judicial adjudications to distort the electoral process for power acquisition or retention have been creating bad and embarrassing history or legacy for the APC government and the Buhari administration.

Thus, President Buhari at a dinner with members of the legal team for the 2019 presidential election petition in Abuja on Thursday, declared that as a beneficiary of a free and fair election in the country, he would bequeath same to his successor and the nation in 2023.  The president now has a duty to correct the wrongs before vacating office at the end of his second tenure.

The President, defending his re-election in 2019, recounted that the turnout of Nigerians during his presidential campaigns to the 36 states of the Federation in 2019 convinced him that his re-election was not a fluke.

‘‘The number of people that turned out in every state across the country was more than anybody can buy or force.

‘‘This gave me so much confidence and the election proved that with the votes I got.

‘‘That is why I insist that elections must be free and fair because I am a clear successor to a free and fair election,’’ President Buhari remarked.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President, Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,

In a statement on Friday disclosed that President told the legal team that he was already looking forward to a peaceful handover in 2023, stressing that he was morally bound to fulfil that wish.

‘‘Morally I want to have a clear conscience. I swore by the Holy Book that I will abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

‘‘I will continue to do my best and I hope that by 2023, I can handover quietly to whoever succeeds me, and I wish him the best of luck,’’ he said.

The President commended the legal team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN for the outstanding legal successes recorded in the presidential election petition.

He praised the team for the effective legal strategy that thrived in piloting his election litigation.

‘‘You creditably demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and its practices and I am indeed proud of you all.

‘‘I am confident that by securing a convincing and unanimous legal victory at the Supreme Court you have by so doing ensured that the political mandate of the Nigerian electorate is now firmly secured,’’ President Buhari said.

The President added that the legal team’s enormous contributions have affirmed the rule of law and further entrenched democratic governance in Nigeria.

‘‘This legal team is an assemblage of some of the most scholarly legal teams ever assembled in this country.

‘‘I must note that the aforesaid legal successes recorded through your excellence have assisted me in fulfilling this government’s desire for a better Nigeria,’’ he said.

On behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President told the team to accept his commendations and best wishes for their meritorious service.

In his remarks, the lead counsel, Chief Olanipekun said the legal victory was won based on the facts of the law, stressing that the President never used his position or office to influence the decision of the Courts.

The lead counsel said: “The courts were allowed to do their job, Mr President and I must commend you for that Sir. Nobody whispered to anyone of us, how we are going to see Judge A or Judge B. That’s the way it should be. Judges must be allowed and be given free hand to do their job.

‘‘Mr President, we are happy to have been called upon and we are happy that we delivered.’’

On electoral reforms, Olanipekun acknowledged that while the National Assembly was doing something about the Electoral Act, the Act requires some ‘‘rejigging and cleansing.’’

‘‘We are happy to know that the National Assembly is doing something about the Electoral law.

‘‘We are ready to cooperate with them without taking a dime, whether as consultants, whether as legal practitioners, whether as experts. If the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) will co-opt us we are ready to give assistance,’’ he said.

Olanipekun commended the President’s commitment to the rule of law, saying ‘‘it is the surest legacy Mr President can bequeath to our dear nation.’’