Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said those opposed to
the decision of Atiku Abubakar to seek legal redress over the outcome of the
presidential election have evil minds.
Atiku, who contested under the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), lost to President Muhammadu Buhari in the March 23 election.
Speaking on the judgement of the Osun governorship tribunal,
Obasanjo said Atiku did the right thing by challenging Buhari’s victory.
He said without a reasonable cause, Buhari went to the court
to challenge his loss in three elections, wondering why some people were trying
to “stop Atiku from going to court”. On Friday, the tribunal declared Ademola
Adeleke of the PDP as winner of the September 2018 election in the state.
In a statement on Saturday, Obasanjo said the nullification
of the election, which he described as an illegality, has given renewed
confidence in the judiciary. “While I was in Dubai to attend the Global
Education and Skills Forum meeting, I received the news of the judgment of the
Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal declaring Senator Ademola
Adeleke, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the winner of
the 2018 Governorship election in the state,” Obasanjo said.
“Let me take this opportunity to commend the tribunal for
its courage in nullifying what was clearly an illegality. This action by the
judicial officers, albeit a first step in the legal process, gives renewed
confidence in the judiciary at a time when there are coordinated efforts by
some political leaders to undermine, if not destroy, it.
“As I have repeatedly said, the world is watching events in
Nigeria with keen interest. What we do or do not do right in our electoral
process will have implications not just for Nigeria but for Africa and indeed
the world. By correcting what was clearly a desperate attempt to change the
will of the Osun people, the tribunal has saved Nigeria from great
embarrassment and started the process of saving and strengthening our
democracy.
“Let me also commend Sen. Adeleke for his statesmanship in
going to court to seek justice. This is the right
