The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called upon former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the main opposition candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to congratulate President Bola Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Supreme Court.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Executive Director of MURIC, Prof. Ishaq Akintola, implored Atiku Abubakar to exhibit Islamic brotherhood and political maturity by offering his congratulations to the winner, President Bola Tinubu.
The Supreme Court’s final pronouncement has put an end to the legal disputes following the election, affirming President Tinubu’s victory in the February 25th presidential election.
News About Nigeria reported that Justice Inyang John Okoro, the chairman of the seven-man panel, delivered the judgment in Abuja on Thursday, solidifying Tinubu’s victory.
In his reaction to the Supreme Court’s ruling, Professor Akintola, an Islamic scholar, highlighted the common faith of both politicians, Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, as Muslims, and called on them to unite in the interest of the nation.
“But we have a country to build and the time to do it is now,” Akintola stated.
“Both of you are Muslims, and that is important to MURIC. First and foremost, you were both Muslims before becoming politicians. You must now join hands to heal wounds, to build bridges, and to allay fears,” he urged.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, expressed his approval of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding President Tinubu’s victory.
He noted that there was still room for the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to pursue their presidential aspirations after President Tinubu’s second term in 2031.
Ganduje applauded the judgment, emphasising that it had put to rest the opposition’s claims of electoral manipulation in President Tinubu’s favour.
He stated that this Supreme Court decision would allow President Tinubu to focus on delivering the ‘Renewed Hope’ mandate of the APC for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us; it is our responsibility as patriots to pull our resources together to move the country forward. I congratulate both Atiku and Obi for their dogged fight in extending the frontiers of our democracy and law. This is democracy. Tinubu’s victory is another victory for democratic rule in the country,” Ganduje added.
