Court cases will not prevent President Buhari from handing over to President-Elect Tinubu — FG

Despite petitions filed by opposition presidential candidates to challenge the results of the 2023 presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has promised a smooth transition of power to the new administration, which will be led by ‘president-elect’ Bola Tinubu

“There would be a peaceful formal transfer of power to the new President on May 29th,” said Boss Mustapha, chairman of the transition committee.

Tinubu was declared the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling a total of 8,794,726 votes, defeating his closest rivals and PDP candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who polled 6,984, 520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.

Meanwhile, Atiku and Obi have petitioned the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal at the Court of Appeal in Abuja to challenge the election’s outcome. However, Mustapha told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday that the handover ceremony would go ahead as planned.

“All litigation, whether resolved or not,” he says, “will not in any way halt the process.” He also stated that Buhari will not stay beyond the constitutionally mandated time limit. “It is the responsibility of the security committee to ensure that nothing happens to jeopardize the transition process.” Nigerians are very law-abiding,” he stated.

Mustapha said, “there are provided avenues for those” who lost in the election “to make whatever legal inquiry they want to make but the process would continue unabated”. We would not create another constitutional crisis; on May 29, the handing over will take place,” he assured.