The Supreme Court’s decision has polarised legal communities across the South, North, and beyond.

The Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to declare President Bola Tinubu the winner of the election over the candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, has been met with mixed reactions from Nigerians from all walks of life.

The Saturday Sun says that while some have called the verdict fair, others insist it was nothing more than a judgement without justice.

Elder Sunday Oibe, executive secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Northern Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, expressed concern about the judgment’s precedent-setting nature in his remarks.

He expressed concern over the country’s image abroad and the example set for the younger generation. It’s not about who wins or loses, but rather about where our ethics and morals have taken us. When the electoral body doesn’t follow its own rules, voters lose faith in the process. How long before Nigerians lose faith in the country’s judicial system for upholding and approving blatant divergence from the parameters set forth by INEC, which encouraged so many young people to vote for the first time in history? Do we endorse brushing aside ethical concerns where they arise? How does everyone feel about the Supreme Court’s decision? Those of us who have had the honour of serving at a higher level than the average citizen are worried by the public’s outcry of discontent with the country and its leadership.

The national mood explains why many are accepting the verdict. You can tell when and where justice has been served by the reaction of the populace. My request to people who have given up on the United States of America is that you reconsider and reconsider again. One is the name his or her parents gave them, and the other is the name that person chooses for themselves, such as “honest man/woman,” “corrupt judicial,” “corrupt politician,” “lazy teacher,” “good person,” etc. This is my message to the three branches of government: remember that every person has two names. How honest our leaders are and how willing we are to obey the laws of our country are two indicators of a country’s greatness. This is how I feel about it.

“Unless we are willing to do the right thing, the greatness of this country will remain a dream. According to a video that has gone viral, when Mr. President’s closest associates went to congratulate him, he assured them that their positions were safe. This is a huge letdown. Is keeping one’s work more important than doing what is right? Isn’t the country’s reputation at stake here?

It is time for Nigerians to unite, as Shehu Sani has stated.

Nigeria’s Civil Rights Congress (CRCN) is led by Senator Shehu Sani. In the 8th Senate, he also stood for Kaduna Central. He remarked that the day the Supreme Court decided the results of the presidential election of 2023 was a significant one. In a democratic system, citizens have a voice in government and a chance to make decisions that affect their lives. We can’t only rally around the national anthem and the flag. Justice, fairness, and freedom or liberty are essential. The ruling has been handed down by the Supreme Court.

Rather than letting chaos rule the country, the opposition should learn from what transpired at the Supreme Court and work together for the struggle of 2027. Our country is confronting economic and security issues, and we are up against them. You can’t oppose a country that doesn’t exist. Nigerians, now more than ever, need to work together for the good of the country. The victor should shake the hands of the vanquished. And those who come out on the losing end should keep the country’s best interests in mind.

Anthony Sani says that winners and losers need to work together.

“Our multiparty democracy allows the aggrieved to approach the courts or tribunal with their concerns,” said Anthony Sani, a former secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum. The victims diligently filed lawsuits in the courts, which ultimately ruled in President Bola Tinubu’s favour. At his inauguration, Abraham Lincoln said that every American has the right to vote for the candidate he or she believes will do the best job of leading the country. But once the votes are counted, everyone is supposed to pull together and use their combined strengths to tackle the country’s most pressing problems before returning to the “trenches” for the next election cycle.In light of this, I urge the losers to accept defeat with grace and the winner, President Bola Tinubu, to show humility. This is due to the reality that no nation prospers when its various factions win out, but rather when they are brought together in peace. Both triumph and defeat are but temporary.

It’s an affront to the rule of law – INC

According to the Igbo National Council (INC), the decision made by the Supreme Court undermines the rule of law.

Chilos Godsent, president of INC, said the ruling proved the difficulty of obtaining justice in Nigeria. Concerns about the ruling party’s ability to seek justice in election disputes have been heightened by the ruling.

According to the Igbo National Council INC, “after critical analysis of the pronouncement of the Supreme Court, the ruling was a subversion of justice more particularly as it borders on the issue of securing 25% in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and the issue of perjury.” INC holds the view that the Supreme Court has misled the people of Nigeria, Africa, and the international community at large.

Until the Constitution of 1999 is scrapped and a new peoples Constitution for Nigeria is written, the Supreme Court verdict will follow the country like a black cloud.

A massive verdict

Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba organisation, praised the decision, saying that the Supreme Court’s upholding of the PEPC’s decision “further enhanced the image of the judiciary positively.” According to the group, important doubts about Nigeria’s electoral laws have been clarified as a result of the rulings, including the legal status of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the time limit for submitting election paperwork. Chief Reuben Famuyide, the leader of the Afenifere movement, released a statement through his National Publicity Secretary Jare Ajayi, in which he praised the Supreme Court and the Presidential Election Petition Court for rejecting petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar and the People’s Democratic Party and by Peter Obi and the Labour Party. To make life better for the Nigerian people, he urged Tinubu to redouble his efforts now that the petitions against his election had been resolved and to implement the great ideas in his Renewed Hope Agenda.

Concern that several problems persist in the country was voiced in the statement. It is worrying that people still feel unsafe,” one section of the statement said. This is evident from the rise in crimes including kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, and banditry.

The legal framework governing law enforcement in Nigeria needs to be examined thoroughly in order to bring the situation under control. Existing law in Nigeria now concentrates power in the hands of the police. The doctrine of need must be invoked so that individual states and municipalities can form their own police forces. Local and state police forces should be staffed mostly by indigenous people or long-term local inhabitants.

The judgement also highlights issues with the constitution. – MBF

Dr. Pogu Bitrus, president of the Middle Belt Forum, claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision is final and binding on everyone in Nigeria, regardless of their personal beliefs. He declared, “The Supreme Court is the highest court in Nigeria, and the verdict is binding on all, whether you like it or not. There are a number of constitutional concerns that the ruling does not address. And that’s all I have to say on the subject.

It was judgement, not justice, that was handed out, say Igbo attorneys.

The South East region’s hard-won triumph from the February 25 election has been further rejected, according to the Igbo Lawyers Association (ILA). Lawyers for the organisation said they respected the verdict but were troubled by the fact that only judgement was handed down, not justice.

Victor Onweremadu, the ILA’s current cordinator, stated, “We had thought that the court would deliver justice, but what had transpired was a total denial of justice on the man that fought very hard to win.”Since the Supreme Court has already determined, we have no choice but to comply. It handed down verdicts instead of rulings.

We stand behind the YCE judgement.

The Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has expressed its approval of the Supreme Court’s decision, as stated by YCE Secretary-General Oladipo Oyewole. He told Saturday Sun, “The win is not just for President Tinubu, but for the entire state of Nigeria and all Nigerians. It shows how far we’ve come as a country and how powerful we are.

“Nigeria as a country has had to overcome many obstacles. Our magnificent nation faces many obstacles, but we can only succeed by working together as one. Everyone in Nigeria, regardless of their ethnicity or political leanings, needs to work together for the good of the country.Just as every morning an American wakes up and prays, “God bless America,” so too must we pray for the best for our great country. Let us declare that Nigeria will be great, and by our words and deeds, we will make that vision a reality.

I hope that all my fellow Nigerians understand that our labours will bear fruit in the coming months. When we have good leadership, our economy flourishes, our infrastructure thrives, and our people prosper. This is a new day for Nigeria, and we must face it with optimism and resolve.Therefore, I implore all citizens of Nigeria to contribute to the betterment of our country. Let us rally with President Bola Tinubu as he steers the country into a better tomorrow. Let’s set aside our differences and concentrate on the thing that binds us together: our devotion to Nigeria.

Attorneys predict a judgement

Dave Ajetomobi, a former chairman of the Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), said, “The Court of appeal has addressed all the relevant grounds in its judgement, which was quite comprehensive. The Supreme Court’s review of the appeal did not need a new beginning. The case was doomed from the start since it was badly argued by the trial lawyers and could not be revived in the appellate court.

Gideon Okebu, a human rights activist and lawyer, remarked, “The decision of the Supreme Court on the issue of fresh evidence proffered by PDP was not unexpected.” Earlier, I had shared my thoughts on the challenges of introducing new evidence at that point in the proceedings.

Justice Robert Jackson of the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS), writing in a concurring opinion in Brown v. Allen, 334 U.S. 443 (1953), said, “We are not final because we are infallible, but we are infallible only because we are final.” This dictum encapsulates my overall thoughts on the Supreme Court’s decision. Thus, the Petitioners (PDP & LP), as fervent believers in the due process of law, are required to sheathe their swords, lick their wounds, and usher in the change they scream for, even if the Supreme Court of Nigeria erred on any aspect in the Judgement. To bring about positive change, one need not run for president. Kabiru Akingbolu, an advocate for civil liberties and a lawyer, hailed the decision as a major step forward for electoral law in Nigeria, calling it a “landmark” in the field of jurisprudence.

He said the highest court did the right thing by the case and protected its reputation by not letting it get dragged through the mud.

Unfortunately, we have no choice but to accept the verdict – M. Ehsan Rafsanjani, CISLAC, Ed.

Despite any doubts each side may have about the finding, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, executive director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and head of Transparency International Nigeria and chairman of the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), has urged all parties to accept it.

“Nigerians should also demand real changes to the country’s election and judicial systems. It is important to recognise the urgency of now for reforms that aim to strictly control the behaviour of politicians. The 2023 election revealed the extent to which the political elite may manipulate voting procedures for their own benefit. In order to prevent the disruptive attitude of politicians in future elections, the people of the country must now demand such reforms. President Tinubu must also recognise the significance of gaining public trust by committing to real changes in Nigeria’s election system and in the country’s judicial system.

As soon as possible, President Tinubu needs to put in place the mechanism necessary to exploit the Supreme Court win to lower Nigeria’s skyrocketing cost of living. caused in great part by initiatives taken by his government since taking office. Except inasmuch as it reflects well on excellent administration for the general public, his victory will remain private to him. Nigerians are unlikely to draw any conclusions from it. It’s concerning that members and leaders of the dominant political party have been making inflammatory comments about the opposition and their candidates. That can’t be called democratic. The President should strongly discourage his fellow party members from making such statements.