Tinubu: I fully defend right of my opponents to challenge presidential poll in court

President Bola Tinubu says he fully defends the right of opposition parties to contest the outcome of the February 15 presidential election. 

Tinubu spoke on Monday during his inauguration as the president of Nigeria.

Following the announcement of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), major opposition parties went to court to challenge the outcome.

Some of the litigations have been struck out by the court, while other petitions are pending adjudication.

Speaking on the situation, the president — who said the February 15 election was of “better quality” than any other poll held since 1999 — noted that it is the right of his opponents to approach the court for redress.

Tinubu added that he would uphold “the essence of the rule of law” and “defend their exercise of this right”.

“In this vein, may I offer a few comments regarding the election that brought us to this juncture? It was a hard-fought contest,” Tinubu said.

“And it was also fairly won. Since the advent of the Fourth Republic, Nigeria has not held an election of better quality.

“The outcome reflected the will of the people. However, my victory does not render me any more Nigerian than my opponents. Nor does it render them any less patriotic.

“They shall forever be my fellow compatriots. And I will treat them as such. They represent important constituencies and concerns that wisdom dare not ignore.

“They have taken their concerns to court. Seeking legal redress is their right, and I fully defend their exercise of this right. This is the essence of the rule of law.”