War Lies Ahead Of Tinubu Despite Supreme Court Victory – Uzor-Kalu

Former chief of staff to an erstwhile governor in Abia State, Mascot Uzor-Kalu, has said despite President Bola Tinubu‘s victory in the legal battle regarding the outcome of the 2023 election, he must work hard to overcome daunting challenges and war ahead of him.

Naija News reports that Uzor-Kalu asserted this in a statement while speaking on the Supreme Court verdict that affirmed Tinubu’s victory and dismissed the petitions of Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his counterpart Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said Atiku and Peter Obi’s loss is not surprising as they were more interested in theatrical and media trials instead of focusing on proving their cases beyond reasonable doubt.

According to the politician, the fact that Tinubu won the election with 38 per cent, and with 62 per cent rejecting him at the poll, makes the war ahead of him challenging.

He said the war has commenced, and Tinubu’s effort to win should focus on how to make the economy better and unite the nation, which has been divided by the presidential election.

Uzor-Kalu added that President Tinubu would win the war if he could win over a big chunk of the 62 per cent that 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 percent 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 percent who did not support his presidency and possibly reduce this number below 50 percent.

“Without any doubt, the war has already commenced, but its outcome also depends on how the 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 percent who supported him can turn against his administration if the economic situation deteriorates further and continues to burden the masses.”