President Muhammadu Buhari has called on all parties involved in the upcoming election tribunal hearing to accept the verdict of the Nigerian courts in his farewell message that was aired on the Nigerian Television Authority on Sunday. He urged all parties to come together to build a better Nigeria regardless of the outcome of the tribunal verdict.

This is not the first time the President has shared such a message. In his Easter Day message on April 7, Buhari encouraged Nigerians to be patient and allow the legal system to run its course if they were aggrieved by the outcomes of the February 25 and March 18 elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress winner of the Presidential polls held a week earlier, having received 8,794,726 votes. The commission declared Atiku as the second runner-up with 6,984,520 votes, while Labour Party’s Peter Obi followed as the third with 6,101,533 votes.

However, the results were rejected by Atiku, Obi and some other parties, who approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to annul Tinubu’s victory. The tribunal commenced with its pre-hearing on May 8 and is scheduled for full hearings starting May 30.

Buhari has commended all the Presidential Candidates and their respective political parties for their resilience and faith in Nigeria’s judicial system by taking their grievances to the court. He appealed to Nigerians to bring to bear the strength of their individualism, the power of their unity, and the conviction of their beliefs to make Nigeria a better place for all.