Nigeria election petition: Buhari welcomes dismissal of Obi, Atiku's appeal; calls it an ‘affirmation of majority will’

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the Supreme Court's dismissal of petitions filed Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, affirming President Bola Tinubu's victory in the 2023 presidential election.

In a statement released by his spokesperson Garba Shehu on Thursday, General Buhari called the Supreme Court's verdict "a reaffirmation of the will of the majority of the people against the determined will of a hard-fighting minority."

He said the decision is "a welcome relief" for both himself and most Nigerian citizens.

According to him, "Now that we have arrived at the last bus-stop, after a tortuous 8-months of expensive legal journey, the nation deserves a break. The opposition has fought a good fight."

The immediate past President expressed concern over low voter turnout, especially in urban areas in the February general elections.

Buhari again called on the opposition to "take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima APC government. Let them allow the Government to run their administration and the people to enjoy the full benefits of the promises the All Progressives Congress (APC) made."