Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the judgment delivered by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal is a testimony to the faith Nigerians have in President Bola Tinubu and his administration.
Shettima spoke to newsmen shortly after the 5-member panel of justices of the court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani delivered judgment affirming Tinubu’s election as president.
“My principal, President Bola Tinubu is eternally indebted to the Nigerian people and to the leadership of the party who have been here since 9 a.m.
“Our energetic chairman and national secretary of the party, members of the national assembly, ministers they have all been here.
“One cannot adequately convey our debt of gratitude to the Nigerian people, my principal will issue a formal statement but we felt compelled to talk to you having spent nearly 14 to 15 hours in this chambers.
“There is dignity of every person that we need to honour and cherish. We want to thank you; the journey is just beginning and we want to call on Nigerians, let us unite,” he said.
The vice president declared that: “What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us, let us unite as a people and face our common challenges.
“As I have always said, the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria the greatest black nation on earth will make or mar that trajectory.’’
Shettima said that even though it was a long day, it was a good day.
““Today is a great day for Nigeria. The Nigerian judiciary has proved itself to be the guardians of justice and fairness against the sirens of deception.
”It is a battle between the will of the people and the forces of misinformation and disinformation, but democracy has finally triumphed like the bird phoenix, it rises from the ashes resolute and unhindered and in this age of information discernment is our greatest armor and unity is our strongest hold.
“Remember, in this battle for the survival of the nation, in this grand symphony of democracy, your voice, your vote is the note that cannot be silenced but even in this our moment of triumph, we are not going to be tampered, we will work for the unity of this nation.
“Democracy as you all know is not a destination but a journey and it takes our resolve, our intent, our commitment to be the custodians of the will of the people,’’ he said.
On whether he would fulfill his campaign promise and “retire political tourists to Dubai, the vice-president said that campaigns were over and it was now time for governance.
“Atiku Abubakar is an elder statesman that I hold in very high esteem and anybody who knows the social cultural interaction between the Fulanis and the Kanuris in the North will know that I have the liberty to hurl all insults at him and he will bear it.
“We are not going to retire him to Dubai or Morroco, I will retire him to Fombina, I will buy him goats, broilers and layers so that he can spend his days rearing goats and broilers, but on a joking side.
“On a more serious note, he is an elder statesman, the nation needs him, experience is not something that you can buy in the market place. We will tap into his wealth of experience and exposure to catapult the nation to a higher level,” he stated.
NAN reports that Shettima along with Governors Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Hope Uzodinma of Imo, amongst other governors and top government functionaries, were in court to witness the judgment.
They sat from the beginning until about 10 p.m when the court delivered the final judgment in the three petitions challenging the outcome of the Feb. 25 presidential election.
