Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has urged all aggrieved political parties to go to court for a redressed over the presidential elections results.
Buhari and the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday, asked the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party not to resort to violence but approach the court to seek redress over their claims that Saturday’s presidential election was marred by rigging.
The opposition parties had during the collation of results called for the cancellation of the election and also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to step down from his position over claims that the election was rigged in favour of the ruling party.
But reacting to the claims in a statement on Wednesday, the President asked the opposition party to approach the court and prove their case.
“If any candidate believes they can prove the fraud they claim is committed against them, then bring forward the evidence.
“If they cannot, then we must conclude that the election was indeed the people’s will – no matter how hard that may be for the losers to accept.
“If they feel the need to challenge, please take it to the courts, not to the streets. “However, to do the latter means they are not doing it in the interest of the people, but rather to inflame, to put people in harm’s way and all for personal, selfish gains.
“After a degree of polarization that necessarily accompanies any election, it is now time to come together and act responsibly.
“I call on all candidates to remember the peace pledge they signed just days before the election. Do not undermine the credibility of INEC.
“Let us now move forward as one. The people have spoken,” Buhari said in a statement signed by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.