The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that quashed the petition by the Presidential candidate of the opposition party, Atiku Abubakar, against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Consequently, the PDP has said it will take the matter to the Supreme Court immediately to acquire justice.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja had on Wednesday dismissed the petition filed by Atiku of PDP against President Buhari of APC.
Atiku had challenged the emergence of Buhari in the 2019 general election and said the President was not qualified to stand the election because he (Buhari) did not possess a school certificate. He also alleged that the election was massively rigged.
The PDP, however, said the verdict by the tribunal is a subversion of justice, describing it as very provocative, barefaced and a direct assault on the integrity of the nation’s justice system.
The party through the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement issued in Abuja said the party is particularly shocked that the tribunal failed to point to justice despite the flawless evidence laid before it.
It noted that President Buhari was not only unqualified to contest the election, but did not score the majority of valid votes in the 2019 presidential election.
“The PDP finds as bewildering that a court of law could validate a clear case of perjury and declaration of false information in a sworn affidavit, as firmly established against President Muhammadu Buhari, even in the face of incontrovertible evidence.
“The party is also rudely shocked that the Court took over the roles of the Respondents’ lawyers who clearly abandoned their pleadings by refusing to call evidence in defence of the petition. The court raked up all manner of excuses to make up for the yawning gaps occasioned by the total absence of any evidence from the Respondents, “Ologbondiyan stated.
According to him, Nigerians and the international community watched in utter disbelief when the tribunal ruled that one need not provide a copy or certified true copy of educational certificate such individuals claimed to possess, contrary to established proof of claims of certification.
“The party notes as strange that the court even went ahead to provide rationalizations in favour of President Buhari, even when all hard facts before it shows that he did not possess the claimed educational certificate and that the Army was not in possession of his WAEC certificate as claimed in the affidavit he deposed to in his Presidential nomination form.
“The PDP also described as shocking that the court approved the flawed declaration of President Buhari as the winner of the election despite evidence to show the perpetration of illegalities, manipulations, alterations, and subtraction of valid votes freely given to Atiku Abubakar by Nigerians,” Ologbondiyan said.
Noting further, he pointed out that the pervading melancholic atmosphere across the nation since the verdict was a direct signal that the judgment has not fulfilled the desires and expectations of Nigerians.
“The PDP, however, encouraged Nigerians to remain calm and not to lose hope or surrender to despondency or self-help, as our lawyers are upbeat in obtaining justice at the Supreme Court.
“This is more so as the tribunal itself admitted that there are several errors in the judgment,” Ologbondiyan insisted.
