Yakubu Gowon Urges Nigerians To Accept Tribunal’s Verdict

With Monday May 8 fixed as the start date of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal hearing, a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), has urged Nigerians to accept the decisions of the court as final, when delivered.

This was his submission at a symposium in honour of a one-time Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Chike Idigbe on Thursday.

Gowon also urged Nigerians to allow the courts do its work without interference, as the judiciary plays a pivotal role in the unity of the country.

Also in attendance at the event are the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Alfa Belgore; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba; and some Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

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Following the February 25 presidential election, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1 declared All Progressives Congress’ Bola Tinubu the President-Elect on the grounds that his party scored the majority of votes cast in the polls.

He had polled 8.8 million votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6.9 million votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) who polled 6.1 million votes and 15 others.

However, Atiku and Obi are disputing the result, filing separate petitions seeking orders to annul the election or declare them the winners of the polls.