The Labour Party (LP) has made the decision to move forward, despite the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the victory of Presidential Bola Tinubu in the February 25 election.
In an announcement, Julius Abure, the LP National Chairman, criticized the Supreme Court, commenting that it has compromised justice and conscience with its verdicts.
The five-man panel of justices, led by Justice John Okoro, dismissed the appeal of LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who was challenging Tinubu’s victory in the last presidential election.
Obi had called for the disqualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima due to double nomination, arguing that Shettima was ineligible to serve as Tinubu’s running mate.
However, Justice Okoro stated that the matter of double nomination had already been addressed in a previous judgment, and therefore could not be revisited.
“This matter should not have been brought before us. When the matter was pending at the trial court, this court had already made a judgment on it. This appeal lacks merit and is dismissed,” ruled Justice Okoro.
Similarly, the Supreme Court also dismissed the appeal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, challenging Tinubu’s victory.
Expressing disappointment with the Supreme Court’s ruling, Abure described the verdict as disheartening, but maintained hope for the future.
In a statement, Abure said, “The leadership of the Labour Party witnessed the erosion of justice and conscience today at the Supreme Court, as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party, the presidential candidate, and the APC presidential candidate.
“We are truly shocked and surprised that even the highest court would align with an earlier judgment, despite the flaws associated with the verdict delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.
“Although we are disappointed by the outcome, we have chosen to move on. We may be disheartened, but we remain optimistic about the future of our nation.
“We mourn for our institutions that fail to rise to the occasion and steadfastly defend democracy and the voices of the people.”
