One of the opposition Peoples Democratic Governors, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari on the validation of his re-election by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
He spoke on the matter when no other PDP governor or the presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, has spoken on the verdict.
But his political party has rejected the verdict, vowing to take the matter to the Supreme Court.
Wike’s congratulatory message was conveyed in a statement by Mr Simeon Nwakaudu, his Special Assistant on Electronic Media.
The PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja seeking the nullification of the victory of Buhari in the Feb. 23, 2019 poll.
But delivering judgment on the matter, Justice Mohammed Garuba dismissed all the grounds of the petition.
The governor urged Buhari to use his victory to work for all Nigerians, irrespective of their political leanings
Wike also called on the president to work toward the unity of the country.
The PDP on its own ridiculed the tribunal verdict and rejected it.
In a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, the party described the verdict as provocative, barefaced subversion of justice and direct assault on the integrity of our nation’s justice system.
“The party is particularly shocked that the tribunal failed to point to justice despite the flawless evidence laid before it, showing that President Buhari was not only unqualified to contest the election but also did not score the majority of valid votes at the polls,” the statement added.
