APC reacts to Supreme Court judgements on governorship elections

Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has hailed the verdicts of the Supreme Court on the governorship election petitions.

The party, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Felix Morka, on Friday, said it accepted the decisions of the court on the cases.

The APC won three cases—Lagos, Ebonyi and Cross River States.

For Lagos State, the court affirmed the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and did the same for Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, and Bassey Otu of Cross River State.

The court upturned the decisions of the Court of Appeal in the cases of Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Abba Yusuf of Kano State and Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State. They are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The elections of Alex Otti of Abia State and Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State were ruled in favour of the Labour Party and PDP respectively.

In the statement, the APC said the decisions of the Supreme Court on the cases are satisfactory to the party, noting that the decisions of the court are final.

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“While the Apex Court’s decisions will undoubtedly elicit mixed reactions and reviews, the decisions are final and binding on all parties to the legal contests. The decisions today provide a strong affirmation of the authority, vibrancy and independence of the Judiciary.

“APC has been consistent in its position that the Judiciary must be left alone to perform its important duty of resolving disputes, including electoral disputes, as constitutionally mandated,” the party stated.

Ruling party Slams PDP

It also took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that the main opposition must apologise to the judiciary for previous comments made on verdicts of the court.

“The decisions today must serve as a rebuke to political opposition figures that vilified and denigrated our courts when judgments were handed against them in these same matters.

“Assuming that it has any spec of decency left, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must tender an unreserved apology to the courts and our judges for the senseless, irresponsible, reckless and unjustified attacks it mounted against the Judiciary throughout this electoral cycle,” the statement reads in part.

In October 2023, following the verdict of the Supreme Court on the presidential election, the PDP said the “judgement was against the express provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Guideline and Regulation issued by INEC under which the election was conducted.”