The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and his counterpart from the Labour Party, Peter Obi has rejected the judgement of the presidential Election tribunal that affirmed the victory of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the February 2023 presidential election and have vowed to approach the apex court. The Labour party as well criticised the position of the tribunal stating the judgement failed to reflect the desire of the people.
The duos have concluded plan to approach the Supreme Court for readdress of the case which is the last and the final court of the land.
In a five-member panel of the sitting yesterday which was led by Justice Haruna Tsammani has unanimously affirmed the victory of the All Progressive Congress, APC candidate throwing out the petition of the opposition and its candidates.
The tribunal posited that the two opposition candidate Atiku and Obi could not substantiate their allegation in the case they filed.
The petition of the third party, Allied People movement, APM, was also rejected by the tribunal for being unmeritorious.
Reacting shortly after the delivering of the judgement in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the labour Party, Obiora Ifor said, the judgement has failed to reflect the law and the desire of the people.
He revealed to newsmen that his party would not give up until the will of the people prevail as they are not convinced that justice was served.
Ifor in his statement said, “The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-person 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.”
He added his party will make its position known when they get the true certified copy of the judgement.
Meanwhile, Atiku and Obi both have vowed to approach the Supreme Court on the matter.
Addressing journalist shortly after the court ruling, Atiku led-lawyer, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said he had already got his client’s instruction to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
“We have our client’s strong instruction to appeal the judgement,” Mr Uche said.
In a similar manner, Mr Obi’s lead counsel, Livy Uzoukwu, a SAN, expressed the Labour Party’s presidential candidate’s displeasure over the court decision.
The Senior Lawyer said, “Our clients are dissatisfied with the judgement just delivered. I have the firm instruction of our client to challenge the judgement on appeal.”
Speaking on the difficulties of electoral litigants to prove their suits, Mr Uzoukwu warned that “electoral jurisprudence” would disappear.
He cautioned that “We have to be very careful in this country, otherwise, electoral jurisprudence will disappear.
“When those who contest elections find it difficult to establish their case, they may resort to other means which might not be quite good,” he said.
The panel had announced that the certified true copy of the judgement would be made available to all the parties on Thursday.
