The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken control of the legislative and judicial branches of government, according to the Labour Party (LP), following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday that upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election victory.

At a press briefing hours after the apex court dismissed the appeals by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi; LP’s Chairman, Julius Abure; said the party was disappointed but have decided to charge on and remain optimistic for what the future holds for the nation.

A seven-judge panel led by Justice John Iyang Okoro ruled the opposition appeals over claims of fraud, electoral law violations, and Tinubu’s ineligibility to run for president lack merit.

Read Also: Buhari: Former President Implores Opposition To Accept S’Court Ruling, Work With Tinubu

The apex court affirmed the September 6, 2023 ruling by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that upheld the victory of APC’s Tinubu.

According to Abure, what happened from the day of the 2023 presidential election to now showed that the nation was sliding towards dictatorship.

“We are indeed very shocked and surprised that even the apex court will toe the line of an earlier judgement in spite of all the flaws associated with the judgement delivered by the Presidential Election Appeal Tribunal.

“Having conclusively exercised our fundamental rights as gifted to us by the laws of the land, we have no other choice but to move on. We may be disappointed and dismayed by the outcome of the exercise but we have chosen to trudge on and to remain optimistic of what the future holds for the nation.

“We weep for our institutions that cannot rise to the occasion and courageously defend democracy and the voices of our people.

“However, there are great lessons to be learnt. What transpired in nigeria since the February 25 presidential election is a clear testament that our institutions are not working and that we may be sliding towards dictatorship. It is very clear that the executive has hijacked both the judiciary and the legislature. This is so unfortunate for our democracy and it is even more for the people of nigeria.

“All what our forbearers taught us has been destroyed within a short space of time because of the unbridled ambition of a few. The founding fathers fought with their lives to achieve independence for the country.

“People lost their lives for the struggle to keep our democracy and all these years people have been struggling to achieve electoral and constitutional reforms. Regrettably, all of these efforts and struggles have been destroyed today,” Abure said.

The Labour Party chairman also alleged that some leaders of the party including himself and Obi have been marked by the government for vilification in other to suppress the party and its goal for a new nigeria.

He called on the international community to rise to the occasion to defend democracy in nigeria.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has praised the verdict of the supreme court that affirmed the election of President Bola Tinubu.

The apex court dismissed the appeals filed by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

Abubakar and Obi lost at the presidential election petitions tribunal where they first challenged Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 poll.

Read Also: Labour Party Alleges Executive Has Hijacked Judiciary In Wake Of S’Court Verdict

The supreme ccour on Thursday pheld the verdict of the appellate court.

In a sstatement issued after the verdict, Felix Morka, APC spokesperson, said the ruling f the apex court underscored the independence and vibrancy of the Nigerian judiciary.

“Dismissing the appeals of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) as lacking merit, the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Court that found in favour of the President,” Morka said.

“This epochal judgment underscores the independence and vibrancy of the Nigerian judiciary as an indispensable feature of our democracy.

“It is our hope that this judgment will put to rest all lingering misgivings about the 2023 presidential election so that we may all now concentrate on working collaboratively across party lines on behalf of our people.”

The spokesperson said the judgment is an important “landmark victory for our democracy.”

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated President Tinubu on the verdict of the Supreme Court affirming his election victory.

Lifestyle Nigeria reports that this was disclosed in a statement signed by ex-president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu

He wished the president and his team a successful term in office.

Buhari noted that the decision to dismiss the appeals by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), by the Supreme Court, is a welcome relief to him and to a majority of the citizens of nigeria.

Shehu noted that Buhari repeated what he said on the earlier 6 September verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which affirmed President Tinubu’s victory, that the welcome decision is “a reaffirmation of the will of the majority of the people against the determined will of a hard-fighting minority.”

He said: “Now that we have arrived at the last bus stop, after a tortuous 8-months of expensive legal journey, the nation deserves a break.

“The opposition has fought a good fight. Having now exhausted their rights as constitutionally allowed, they should take the hand of fellowship extended by the Tinubu/Shettima @OfficialAPCNg government.

“Let them allow the Government to run their administration and the people to enjoy the full benefits of the promises the All Progressives Congress (APC) made.”

The former president also expressed concern over low voting percentages all over the country, especially in urban areas, and said this should change, given the acceptance and vibrancy of democracy in nigeria.