ACF advises Atiku, Buhari on outcome of Supreme Court verdict

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has been advised to accept his defeat in good faith.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) gave the advice to the former vice president in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim.

The group also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to invite Atiku and his opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join hands with his administration to work together.

Atiku and his party, the PDP, after suffering defeat at the 2019 presidential election had challenged President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the tribunal.

After he suffered another defeat at the tribunal, which affirmed Buhari’s emergence as the winner of the 2019 presidential poll, Atiku had dragged the matter to the Supreme Court.

However, the seven-man panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Tanko Mohammed, on Wednesday dismissed Atiku’s appeal and affirmed the earlier decision of the tribunal.

In its statement in response to the development, ACF said, “The challenges of elections through the due process of the democratic institution are part of strengthening of our democracy.

“ACF once again call on Alhaji Atiku as a true democrat to accept the verdict of Nigerians and the affirmation of the Supreme Court of President Muhammadu Buhari victory at the 2019 polls.

“ACF also appeal to President Buhari to be magnanimous in victory and invite the opposition to join hands in building a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.”