Abbas: Opposition should take heart — it’s Tinubu’s turn

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, has asked opposition parties to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking with journalists at the presidential villa on Thursday when he paid a congratulatory visit to Tinubu over his victory at the supreme court, Abbas said the judgement was expected.

In a ruling on Thursday, a seven-member panel of the apex court led by Inyang Okoro ruled that the petitions by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) have no substance.

Obi and Abubakar had separately sought to overturn the judgement of the presidential election petition tribunal which upheld Tinubu’s election as president.

Abbas said those who lost their appeal should “take heart”, adding that there can only be one winner in any contest.

“To God be the glory. It is not something unexpected, it is something that we have been waiting. We know ultimately,” the speaker said.

“Thank God for all the good people of Nigeria who prayed for this particular day and for this historic victory.

“I think this time around, after this pronouncement, we have no excuse, but to go back to business as usual, to go back and reset our agenda and see what we can do for the people of Nigeria for the next three and a half or four years.

“They (opposition candidates) should take heart. There is always one victor at a time — this is Asiwaju’s time.

“They should all take heart, come and join hands with him. So that we move Nigeria to a greater level.”

Also speaking, George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), said the victory is a “revalidation” of the mandate Nigerians gave to Tinubu.

“The people spoke loud and clear, some people were aggrieved, reasons they went to the court, to the judiciary,” Akume said.