By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan on Friday visited President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The visit comes 24 hours after the Supreme Court of Nigeria affirmed the February 25 election of Tinubu who was the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.
The Supreme Court while dismissing the two appeals brought before it by the candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively held that the candidates failed to prove that the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not substantially comply with provisions of the Electoral Act, in the conduct of the election.
The apex court held that INEC’s failure to electronically transmit results of the election, denied the electorates the opportunity to follow and cross-check results that were eventually uploaded, a reason for which it said is not enough to annul the election of Tinubu.
At the meeting to President Tinubu on Friday, Jonathan said Nigeria must move forward.
“There are certain things we discussed so that the country must move forward. Elections are over, we must move forward,” Jonathan said.
“Yes, we have challenges economically now, we still have all it takes to lead. These are some of the issues I will continue to have a conversation with Mr President, including briefing him on all my foreign programmes because they are not personal issues.”
He said the visit which came hours after the Supreme Court verdict, afforded him the opportunity to congratulate the President over Thursday’s judgment.
According to him, there is a need to end the tension and move forward together as Africa’s most populous nation.
Jonathan called on all political leaders, including former President to eschew bitterness and work together in harmony for the country’s overall good.
The former president also said his visit was to inform Tinubu of some of his recent foreign engagements as well as some sundry issues affecting the country.
“Traditionally, if a former president goes outside the country for this continental, regional or international, they come home and tell the President. That is the tradition. Most of the time, when you see me here, it is because of this thing we must do to move Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the African continent forward,” he added.
