President Bola Tinubu has won the legal battle over the results of the 2023 election, but he still needs to put in a lot of work to win the war and the difficult challenges that lie ahead of him, according to Mascot Uzor-Kalu, a former chief of staff to an ex-governor of Abia State.

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi had their petitions dismissed by the Supreme Court, which had upheld Tinubu’s victory, according to a statement released by Uzor-Kalu.

 

According to him, it is not shocking that Atiku and Peter Obi lost because they were more concerned with having their cases proven beyond a reasonable doubt than with theatrical and media trials.

 

According to the politician, the fact that Tinubu won the election with 38% of the vote while 62% voted against him makes the war ahead of him difficult.

 

He stated that the war had begun, and Tinubu’s efforts to win should focus on how to improve the economy and unite the nation, which had been divided by the presidential election.

 

Uzor-Kalu went on to say that President Tinubu would win the war if he could win over a sizable portion of the 62 per cent who voted against him in the next four years.

 

He said, “Nigeria’s democratic landscape has long been familiar with the extended legal disputes that follow each election cycle, with various litigation battles in the courtrooms.

 

“However, the 2023 presidential election that resulted in the emergence of Bola Tinubu as president brought a unique set of circumstances and legal wrangling from the opposition, which left me intrigued and, at times, astounded. What made this year’s post-election legal battle particularly captivating was the theatrical nature of the opposition’s claims.

 

“As I’ve previously noted in different discussions, opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), along with their respective presidential candidates, seemed more interested in public spectacle than in presenting a solid case to challenge Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 polls.

 

“Instead of focusing on substantiating their claims in court beyond any reasonable doubt, they indulged in legal trivialities and media trials.

 

“Nevertheless, even though the president has secured victory in the legal battle, a broader war lies ahead of him. Where lies the war? The 2023 election, perhaps more than any in our electoral history, deeply divided our nation and exacerbated the country’s ethnic differences.

 

“Another challenging part of the war is the fact that he won the presidency with only 38% of the vote, indicating that 62 per cent of voters did not endorse him.

 

“Essentially, it will be interesting to see how the president can, over the next four years, win over the 62 per cent who did not support his presidency and possibly reduce this number below 50 per cent.

 

“Without any doubt, the war has already commenced, but its outcome also depends on how Tinubu’s administration addresses the nation’s dire economic situation.

 

“Prosecuting the war should begin with efforts to stabilize the declining value of the Naira in the volatile foreign exchange market, reduce the alarming unemployment rate through job creation, and address various other economic challenges confronting the country.

 

“While it is essential to acknowledge that the current administration is not solely responsible for the economic difficulties plaguing the nation, the president should recognize that even the 38 per cent who supported him can turn against his administration if the economic situation deteriorates further and continues to burden the masses.”