…Says Nigeria sliding into dictatorship
The leadership of the Labour Party yesterday described the judgment of the Supreme Court upholding the election of President Bola Tinubu as sad, adding that” the judgement has destroyed the fabrics of Nigeria’s democracy.
National Chairman of the Party, Julius Abure, while reacting to the judgement, said the party is “shocked and surprised that the apex Court will toe the line of the September 26 judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), despite the flaws inherent in it.
Abure, in a statement he personally signed, said the Party “watched as the sacred fabric of justice and good conscience was shredded today at the Supreme Court as it delivered its verdict in the case between our party the Presidential candidate, and the APC Presidential candidate.
According to him, “We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the Apex Court will toe the line of an earlier judgement in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.
“Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on. We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise, but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic about what the future holds for the nation. We weep for our institutions that cannot rise to the occasion and courageously defend democracy and the voices of our people”.
Abure, however, noting that there are great lessons to be learned, added that “what transpired in Nigeria since the February 25 presidential election is a clear testament that our institutions are not working and that we may be sliding towards dictatorship. “It is very clear that the Executive has hijacked both the Judiciary and the Legislature. This is so unfortunate for our democracy and even more for the people of Nigeria”, he stated.
Abure called on all members, and the ‘Obidient’ family to be vigilant and brace up for the challenges ahead, adding that “The struggle for a New Nigeria will certainly be tortuous and hard”, while also appealing to the international community to rise to the occasion to defend democracy in Nigeria.
