Members of the Federal Executive Council yesterday urged the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to shelve its decision to appeal Tuesday's Presidential Election Petition Tribunal judgment to the Supreme Court in order to enable the country to move forward.The judgment upheld the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan in the April 16 election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But CPC said it would appeal the tribunal's ruling on grounds that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to tender the election materials used in the South-East and the South-South zones.The ministers also congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan on the ruling, saying the judgment was an affirmation that last year's elections were credible and were a complete departure from previous elections in the country.Information Minister Labaran Maku, who briefed newsmen on the outcome of yesterday's FEC, which was presided over by Jonathan, said members reviewed the judgment and expressed confidence in the judicial process. The council meeting, which was held at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja, had all the ministers in attendance.Maku said, 'Today, the FEC reviewed the judgment that was given yesterday in favour of president and vice president on the petition to the presidential election tribunal by the CPC. Council expressed confidence in the judicial process and congratulated Mr President and the vice president for their victory yesterday at the tribunal.'With this judgment, we pray that the CPC will lay the matter to rest so that the nation can focus its attention on development. In most nations after elections, people are concentrating on development. So, we pray that the opposition party will acknowledge what has been pronounced by the judge. We pray that this process will come to an end so that our country can return to the process of development.' And that these election which ought to be a an opportunity for Nigeria to celebrate her democracy and the progress that have been made in reforms to consolidate the electoral process unfortunately ended in a irrational recourse to violence which took the lives of innocent citizens in parts of the country.'Yesterday's victory also reassured the nation that the president is sincere and honest when he says we don't need to rig elections in this country. We need elections that reflect the choice of Nigerians. We are disturbed by the fact that every election victory is contested in Nigeria despite the reports and commendation by international observers about the fairness of the process of last election.
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