You’ve lessons to learn from tribunal judgment, APC chieftain tells INEC

Mr. Bola Babarinde, a former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), South Africa, has advised INEC to use lessons learned from Wednesday’s tribunal judgement to improve the conduct of future elections in the country.

Babarinde gave the advice on Saturday in a congratulatory message to President Bola Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).

He urged the electoral body to use the few lessons learned from the tribunal verdict to conduct free and fair governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa.

While celebrating Tinubu’s victory at the tribunal, Babarinde called on the president to be magnanimous in victory and listen more to criticism and suggestions from citizens for good governance.

He said the peak of the tribunal process was the judgement that struck out the petitions of the People's Democratic Party and Labour Party candidates for lacking merit.

“The culmination of the whole election tribunal process is the judgement that struck out the petitions of the PDP and Labour Party candidates while declaring President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election,” he noted.

Babarinde said that since the petitions had been won and lost, Nigerians should put the nation first by bringing ideas on board irrespective of political affiliations to make the country great.

The APC chieftain suggested that Tinubu’s administration should rename the fuel subsidy palliatives as social responsibility palliatives for vulnerable people to be managed by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs.

“There must be subsidies on some basic items that affect the lives of the vulnerable and poorest of the poor in Nigeria.

“Deployment of accurate data and digital innovation is key to accurate delivery of this good governance devoid of reckless corruption, as it would be better managed for effective distribution and impact.

“This period should be a sober reflection period for our leadership to show some austerity in their lifestyles and sincerity of purpose in making sure they identify with the concerns and plight of Nigerians.

“To show they are also sacrificing as their fellow citizens in the efforts towards repositioning the country during this period of economic reforms,” he said.