PEPC: Ben Bruce urges Atiku, Obi to follow Jonathan's doctrine

Ben Murray Bruce has urged the Presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party to adopt the Jonathan doctrine by accepting the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court.

Making this call in a tweet after the Tribunal delivered its judgement in favor of the ruling party and it’s candidate, Mr Bruce suggested that Nigeria’s election should not be decided in court.

“Once elections have been held and a winner is announced, we must follow the Jonathan doctrine and accept the people’s verdict in the interest of democracy and the nation. Our elections don’t have to end in the courts. But now that we have found ourselves in this position, and the courts have spoken, let us put national interest above self-interest, accept the verdict, and move on so the nation can advance,” Mr Bruce wrote.

According to the Chief Executive of Silverbird group, President Bola Tinubu was duly elected.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu, @officialABAT, is the duly elected and undisputed President of Nigeria, @NGRPresident, and this judgment should settle all questions and erase all doubts,” he said.

He further called on “supporters of all the parties to this now settled case to be mindful of recent events on our continent and thus tailor their words and actions to promote the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria as one democratic and united nation under God. #PEPCJudgment.”

His comment comes as PDP and Labour Party rejected the tribunal verdict. While the PDP announced that it will be challenging the ruling at the Supreme Court, Labour Party detailed that it was waiting for the certified true copy of the ruling before announcing it’s next line of action.

PoliticsNow recalls that President Goodluck Jonathan had after losing the presidential election in 2015 didn’t approach the Tribunal to challenge the election outcome. He called the then president-elect Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him.