In a swift reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), today rejected the Presidential Election Petition Court Judgment a few minutes after the tribunal upheld the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the February presidential election.
The Party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said, “As a Party, we have had an initial review of the Judgment as delivered by the PEPC and we unequivocally reject the said Judgement 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.
“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.
“The PDP calls on Nigerians to remain alert, calm, and united as our Party continues to lead the charge to defend Democracy and ensure that the Will of the people as expressed in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election is respected and restored.”
However, Atiku’s lead counsel, Chris Uche, SAN, revealed that the legal team has been ordered to appeal against the unanimous judgment upholding the victory of President Bola Tinubu.
Disclosing to journalists, Uche expressed disappointment over the judgment and said his client and the legal team had expected that the court would have given a verdict that would improve and encourage the use of technology in elections.
Pointing out that the struggle has not ended, Uche stated, “The judgment has been delivered but we have not received justice. Luckily, the Constitution has given us the right to appeal. This is a court of first instance. This is a struggle not for our client but for the constitution of the country and democracy. We were expecting an outcome that would improve and encourage the use of tech to enhance election management and transparency in the country. We believe that when we get to the Supreme Court, they will have the opportunity to review things said here today. We have the instructions of our client to go ahead to appeal. The struggle has not ended.”
