Why Kwankwaso Didn’t Go To Election Tribunal Despite Losing Presidential Election

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has stated that the party did not challenge the results of the February 25 presidential election in court because “Nigeria must move forward”.
Speaking in a chat with Arise TV on Wednesday, Galadima alleged that NNPP has the highest chance of overturning APC’s victory if it files a suit but the party decided not to challenge the election.

According to him, the NNPP did not want to “destroy this election” and give an opportunity to some “people who are waiting to establish an interim government”.

The African Examiner recalls that Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of NNPP, finished fourth in the presidential election which was won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Both Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) have challenged the result of the election and submitted petitions to contest Tinubu’s victory.

Although NNPP had initially asked for the cancellation of the election because of voter suppression, intimidation, and vote buying, the party never protested the presidential poll official in court.

“I have said that if there is anybody that can go to court successfully and challenge the mandate of the APC, it is the NNPP,” Galadima said.

“One is because the word ‘NNPP’ was not on the ballot and it is enough to cancel that election. And our logo was unrecognizable. Also, the cumulative votes of Nigerians since 1999 have always been about 32 million to 34 million votes, but this time there were less than 20 million voters.

“Our claim was that the reduction in number is because those who came to vote for Kwankwaso did not vote because they could not see his logo on the ballot.

“So, if we go to court to destroy this election, who is the beneficiary? Nigeria must move forward. We also know that they are some people who are waiting to establish an interim government and we never wanted to give them the opportunity.