Nigerians await impact of Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ aftermath of Supreme Court victory

In a watershed moment for Nigerian politics, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Thursday, upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu, thus, bringing an end to the litigations and disputes stemming from the outcome of the February 28 presidential election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu as the winner of the fiercely contested poll, citing his majority vote count and adherence to electoral laws.

However, unsatisfied by the election results, his closest challengers, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, took their grievances to the tribunal, seeking to overturn the APC candidate’s victory.

Among the allegations levied against Tinubu at the lower court by Atiku and Obi were claims of electoral rigging, failure by INEC to comply with electoral provisions regarding the publication of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal, and accusations of result forgery, among others.

The lower court judges, however, dismissed all allegations, including charges of fraud, claims of electoral authorities violating the law, and assertions that Tinubu was ineligible to run.

Unsatisfied with the lower court’s decision, Atiku and Obi pursued legal redress, but their efforts faced a dead end on Monday when the justices of the Supreme Court unanimously dismissed all the petitions brought before them, affirming Tinubu’s election.

As a result, the leadership of the Labour Party has accepted the verdict of the apex court, though not without some dissatisfaction, expressing its well-wishes to the APC government in a statement by its chairman. At the time of writing, the PDP candidate had yet to release a statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision.

With the verdict now clear from the Supreme Court, the path is unobstructed for the Tinubu government to fulfill the renewed hope he pledged during the election campaign.

A Glimpse into ‘Renewed Hope’

The APC presidential candidate, President Bola Tinubu, made ten key promises as outlined in the party’s manifesto. These include:

Creating ample job opportunities with decent wages for the youth.

Promoting local manufacturing, innovation, and invention.

Boosting exports and reducing imports to strengthen the national currency.

Supporting farmers through agricultural policies that ensure productivity and decent incomes.

Modernizing and expanding public infrastructure for economic growth.

Empowering youth and women by tapping into emerging sectors like the digital economy, entertainment, tourism, and more.

Providing economic opportunities for the poorest and most vulnerable, among others.

Speaking with IDOMA VOICE, a cross-section of Nigerians expressed their optimism that the government now has no excuse not to deliver on these promises, as all potential distractions have been firmly laid to rest with the Supreme Court’s decisive ruling.