The 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has said the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) judgment in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu failed to restore confidence in Nigerians’ dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations.
Atiku had approached the court in a petition over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of the APC and President Tinubu as winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Similarly, Senior Special Adviser, media and publicity to the former president made this known in a statement on Thursday.
The five-member panel of the PEPC, led by Haruna Tsammani, in a unanimous judgement on Wednesday, dismissed the petitions challenging the victory of Mr Tinubu in the presidential election.
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) also filed petitions challenging the victory of Tinubu of the APC in the election, but similarly lost out at the PEPT.
However, after months of legal battle among all concerned, a five-man panel Wednesday struck out Atiku’s petitions for lacking in merits and therefore upheld Tinubu’s election.
Hours after the PEPC judgment, the former Vice President said he would not validate “electoral banditry”, promising to challenge the judgment at the apex court.
Addressing journalists Thursday at the Wadata Plaza PDP Headquarters Abuja, Atiku explained that his decision to go to court was anchored on the belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice.
My position – Atiku
He said: “I am here today to give my official reaction to the judgment delivered yesterday by the Presidential Election Petition Court on the 2023 presidential election.
“As you already know, I approached the court following the declaration by INEC that the APC and its candidate are the winners of the February 25, Presidential Election. My decision to go to court is anchored in my belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice. The journey of my political career, as you know, holds so much to the courage and fearless decisions of our judiciary.
“Indeed, I am no stranger to legal battles, and I can say that I have a fair idea of how the court system works. All through my career as a politician, I have been a fighter, and I must say that I have found the judiciary as a worthy pillar to rest on in the pursuit of justice. The last presidential election in our country and the way it was managed by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, leaves behind unenviable precedents, which I believe the courts have a duty to redress.
“Our gains in ensuring transparent elections through the deployment of technology were heavily compromised by INEC in the way it managed the last presidential election, and I am afraid that the judgement of the court as rendered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal yesterday, failed to restore confidence in our dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations. Like I did say at the beginning of this legal battle when I instructed my lawyers to file my petition challenging the outcome of the presidential election, my ultimate goal in this pursuit is to ensure that democracy is further strengthened through the principles and processes of fair hearing.”
Atiku maintained the stance that the election was manipulated in favour of President Bola Tinubu, but said his dissatisfaction with the tribunal verdict does not mean he has lost hope in the judiciary.
“Gentlemen of the press, I take great pains to tell you that the decision of the court of first instance on this matter utterly falls far short of that expectation. I am therefore here to tell you that, though the judgment of the court yesterday is respected, it is a judgment that I refuse to accept. I refuse to accept the judgment because I believe that it is bereft of substantial justice. However, the disappointment in the verdict of the court can never destroy my confidence in the judiciary.
“Consequently, I have asked my lawyers to activate my constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which, in the instance, is the Supreme Court. It is my conviction that the electoral process in Nigeria should be devoid of untidy manipulations and that the outcome of every election should be a perfect reflection of the wishes of the electorate. I believe that such is the only way through which our democracy can have a manifest expression of its true meaning. Whether I prevail in this quest or not, the record of my effort in ensuring an order of credible elections in Nigeria shall remain for the future generations to evaluate.
“On this note, I urge all my supporters to remain steadfast. I urge them to take solace in an immortal lesson I learned from my leader and mentor, the late Shehu Yar’Adua that losing a battle is less important than losing the war. We might have lost a battle yesterday, but the war is well ahead of us. And I believe that with our hopes in God, we shall win the war of restoring confidence in our electoral system.”
…Denies congratulating Tinubu
Also, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the ex-VP denied congratulating as being speculated in some quarters.
“Atiku couldn’t have validated electoral banditry because doing so would have amounted to a rape on the conscience of Nigerians who have struggled for years to entrench electoral integrity.” Ibe said.
“If their conscience is clear and they are convinced that their victory is valid, they don’t have to blackmail their political opponents into congratulating them through fake news.
“Why should a man be desperate for validation? Does truth require validation? Why should you issue a congratulatory statement and attribute it to Atiku if your conscience is not troubled by the electoral heist you have perpetrated,” the statement added.
…PDP chair
On his part, PDP Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum said they received the PEPC judgement with shock.
He said the judgment “left lovers of democracy in and outside the country, more confused with a lot of questions whether the Nigerian Constitution, electoral act and other laws guiding the conduct of credible election in our country are still functional.”
“Close observation from the faces of Nigeria across the country shows hopelessness and despair since the pronouncement of the judgment.
“As a law-abiding political party, we received the judgment with shock along with other Nigerians. Members should however not lose focus or be distracted.”
“Lawyers, politicians and other stakeholders from all divides were left confused as both law and facts were visibly thrown overboard,” he said.
…Judiciary refused intimidation – Buhari
In his reaction, former President Muhammadu Buhari expressed satisfaction with the judgement and saluted the five-member panel of the PEPC for standing against “intimidation” to deliver justice.
Media aide to the former president, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement Thursday said: “Former President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his happiness with the ruling of the Presidential Elections Petition Court confirming the victory of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima in the February 25 election.
“The former President said the PEPC has “written history” by spurning intimidation and all manner of prejudice to deliver justice according to law to a majority of citizens whose wish is that the choices they made are respected.
“If anybody has won today it is the democracy and the people. With the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Court, the election period is over and it is time to put the heat and dust behind us.”
“From here, the new APC administration led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should get the support of everyone in order to deliver the promises it made to the people.
“The former President also voiced his appreciation to all citizens for maintaining peace throughout this period and prayed for continued progress and development under the APC government.
“He sends warm congratulations to the President, the Vice President and the All Progressives Congress on the victory in court, expressing his best wishes to them in fulfilling the people’s aspirations,” the statement said.
