Different salvos have been fired at Wednesday’s judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court validating the election of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25, general election. While several Nigerians would prefer that all matters relating to election petitions are concluded before the swearing-in of the winners, others were worried at the way the judgement
Different salvos have been fired at Wednesday’s judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court validating the election of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25, general election.
While several Nigerians would prefer that all matters relating to election petitions are concluded before the swearing-in of the winners, others were worried at the way the judgement treated the innovation in the 2023 elections through the use of BVAS and IReV, thereby querying the huge investment that has gone into the process.
Labour Party Rejects Judgement, Fights On
Rising from the middle of judgement delivery on Wednesday, the Labour Party issued a statement rejecting the verdict that ruled against its petition and submitted that the tribunal may have failed to serve the cause of justice expected of it.
The Labour Party in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, stated that they were ‘dismayed’ by the judgement, insisting that the party will take another step after consulting with its legal team as soon as the certified true copy of the judgment is received
“The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.
“Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious. What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people will prevail. We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system.
“We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria. Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgment. We urge all lovers of democracy to remain focused and hopeful because a new Nigeria is possible”, Ifoh said.
PDP Faults Court Basis on Judgement
On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party also rejected the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and frowned at the judgement delivered by the five-man tribunal chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani that its presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar failed to provide evidence to prove claims of irregularities in his petition against the victory of the candidate of All Progressives Congress, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement the PDP National publicity secretary, Debo Olorunagba, said the party unequivocally rejected the outcome of the tribunal adding that the ruling was against facts provided before the tribunal.
“As a party, we have had an initial review of the Judgment as delivered by the PEPC and we unequivocally reject the said Judgment in its entirety.
“The Judgement is against reason, against the facts and evidence presented in Court; against the relevant Electoral Laws, Guidelines and Regulations as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Indeed, the Judgment is generous in technicalities and very short in delivering substantial justice in the matter”, he said.
Mr Olorunagba further indicated the party’s readiness to take the next actions within the ambit of the law after a comprehensive engagement with its team of lawyers.The PDP, as a law-abiding political party, will with our lawyers, have a comprehensive review of the Judgment and decide on the next line of action within the ambit of the law”.
APC Endorses Judgement
But the APC, whose candidate has emerged victorious has a different perspective. The All Progressives Congress has expressed its satisfaction with the tribunal’s judgment which upholds the victory of its candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the development has vindicated its presidential candidate.
A statement signed by Felix MorkaNational Publicity Secretary All Progressives Congress after the tribunal lauded the tribunal for upholding the tenet of democracy in the country
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomes the decision of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) declaring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC as the validly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the February 25, 2023 general election.
“In reaching this decision, the PEPT dismissed the cases brought by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peter Gregory Obi of Labour Party (LP) and Abubakar Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as lacking merit.
“This epochal decision is a solid affirmation of the mandate freely handed to President Tinubu of the APC by the Nigerian electorate, and constitutes undiluted victory for our democracy.
“We commend the PEPT for doing manifest justice in this matter and for upholding the popular will of Nigerians as expressed through their ballots”, the statement partly read.
But veteran musician, Charles Chukwuemeka Oputa, also known as Charlyboy on his official handle on X (formerly known as Twitter) condemned the outcome from the tribunal, adding that no justice should be expected from the process.”I didn’t expect justice. But I have a strong feeling say we never really tire to suffer.
“Like Datti said, “the fate of the common man doesn’t lie in the hands of the judiciary but in the hands of the common man himself” E be like say we never ready”, he tweeted.
Also, Aisha Yesufu, an activist and a member of Obidients Campaign noted that the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi would proceed to the supreme court to seek redress from the apex court.
“Next is the Supreme Court ruling and then the election would be duly rounded up and the statement of account of Obi/Baba-Ahmed Campaign Account can be made public by the Presidential candidate! There are many who have concluded their election, Obi/Baba-Ahmed Campaign hasn’t”, she said.
Apapa’s Faction of Labour Party Endorses Court Verdict
In a twist but not surprising the Lamidi Apapa faction of the Labour Party, has reacted positively to the verdict of the Court. It noted that the petition of the Labour Party and Peter Obi against the victory of the APC candidate, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were unfounded.
Describing the Julius Abure faction of the party’s decision to approach the court on the electoral matter as a show of shame, the spokesperson of the Apapa-led faction, Arabambi Abayomi accused Peter Obi of defrauding the party of donations made towards the elections.
“Our previous position has now been confirmed that Peter Obi was just all out to defraud our party of donations made towards the 2023 General Election which was in the sum of $15m dollars and N12 billion Naira.
Our party is also in tandem with the tribunal that the Claim by the Labour Party Concerning the blurred 18,088 results sheets Is totally unfounded as the party ought to have agents at every polling unit who will have a copy of the result sheet but here Peter Obi fraudulently converted all monies due to our agent across the country and they all refuse to represent the party at all pooling units”, he said.
Mr Arabambi insisted that Peter Obi’s demand to upturn President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory over 25% FCT votes requirement was a farce, adding that Abuja does not have a special treatment ahead of other states of the federation, adding that the Abure faction only wanted the tribunal to declare Obi the winner of the elections without providing viable evidence before the court.
Accepting the court’s verdicts, the Apapa-led faction noted that it will revisit its mistakes in the past and make amends in the future
“On Peter Obi request that 25% FCT vote is a requirement before a president can be declared, we noted that this is a shame on the part of Peter Obi legal teams to be told in clear terms that Abuja is equal to every other state in Nigeria since according to the tribunal, residents of Abuja don’t have special privileges, every Nigerian is equal
“How does anyone claim to have won an election based solely on pejoratives, assumption, vague rhetorics and zero evidence pointing to such being the case ,but on the expectation that the actual winner would be disqualified and by some stroke of black magic the candidate in the 3rd place will suddenly be declared winner , without any proof of having scored the Majority vote is absolute rascality on display by Peter Obi and Julius Abure.
“As a law-abiding Party, we accept the verdict, and we are going back to the drawing board to know where we have gone wrong”.
