Former President Muhammadu Buhari says Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party have exhausted their legal rights after the Supreme Court’s verdict affirming President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory on Thursday. 

“Now that we have arrived at the last bus-stop, after a tortuous eight months of expensive legal journey, the nation deserves a break,” said Mr Buhari. “The opposition has fought a good fight. Having now exhausted their rights as constitutionally allowed, they should take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima @OfficialAPCNg government.”

He added, “Let them allow the government to run their administration and the people to enjoy the full benefits of the promises the All Progressives Congress (APC) made.”

The former president made this call in a statement by his spokesperson Garba Shehu on Thursday, in reaction to Mr Tinubu’s victory.

The apex court affirmed Mr Tinubu’s victory, rejecting fresh evidence of certificate forgery tendered by Mr Abubakar. 

“Facts and matters that were not rendered in the tribunal have no place in the appeal,” Justice John Okoro ruled, adding, “A petitioner shall not be allowed to introduce new evidence in an appeal.”

Mr Abubakar had, in August, approached a U.S. court, praying Chicago State University to be compelled to release Mr Tinubu’s academic record. 

After much pushback from Mr Tinubu, the court granted Mr Abubakar’s request, a development that revealed Mr Tinubu presented a fake certificate to the INEC. But the Supreme Court’s decision not to admit fresh evidence saw Mr Tinubu’s victory affirmed.

Though Thursday’s judgement did not clear Mr Tinubu’s forgery scandal, sparking criticisms from Nigerians, Mr Tinubu, in an interview with state-owned television NTA, said the apex court’s judgement put an end to “shenanigans, lies, media trial” against him.