Lead Counsel in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential elections petition legal team, Chief Wole Olanipekun has stressed the need for the Rejigging of the national electoral Act presently at the National Assembly.Chief Olanipekun, who spoke last night, January 16 at a dinner hosted for the legal team by President Muhammadu Buhari, acknowledged that while the National Assembly is doing something about the Electoral Act, “the Act requires some rejigging and cleansing.
‘‘We are happy to know that the National Assembly is doing something about the Electoral law.
‘‘We are ready to cooperate with them without taking a dime, whether as consultants, whether as legal practitioners, whether as experts. If the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) will co-opt us, we are ready to give assistance.”
Olanipekun confirmed that throughout the Presidential legal battle was fought and won based on the facts of the law.
According to him, President Buhari never used his position or office to influence the decision of the Courts.
“The courts were allowed to do their job, Mr President and I must commend you for that Sir. Nobody whispered to anyone of us, how we are going to see Judge A or Judge B. That’s the way it should be. Judges must be allowed and be given free hand to do their job.
‘‘Mr President, we are happy to have been called upon and we are happy that we delivered. ’’
Olanipekun commended the President’s commitment to the rule of law, saying ‘‘it is the surest legacy Mr President can bequeath to our dear nation.’’
This was even as President Buhari pledged to bequeath better electoral processes to the next generations while stressing that he would quit the stage at the end of his second term in 2023.
Buhari who insists that elections must be free and fair emphasized that he was already looking forward to a peaceful hand over in 2023 as he is morally bound to fulfil that wish.
‘‘Morally I want to have a clear conscience. I swore by the Holy Book that I will abide by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
‘‘I will continue to do my best and I hope that by 2023, I can handover quietly to whoever succeeds me and I wish him the best of luck.”
The President commended the legal team led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN for the outstanding legal successes recorded in the presidential election petition.
He praised the team for the effective legal strategy that thrived in piloting his election litigation.
‘‘You creditably demonstrated a deep understanding of the law and its practices and I am indeed proud of you all.
‘‘I am confident that by securing a convincing and unanimous legal victory at the Supreme Court you have by so doing ensured that the political mandate of the Nigerian electorate is now firmly secured.”
The President added that the legal team’s enormous contributions have affirmed the rule of law and further entrenched democratic governance in Nigeria.
‘‘This legal team is an assemblage of some of the most scholarly legal teams ever assembled in this country.
‘‘I must note that the aforesaid legal successes recorded through your excellence have assisted me in fulfilling this government’s desire for a better Nigeria.”
On behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President told the team to accept his commendations and best wishes for their meritorious service.
