Victor EzejaNigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has accused Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presidential candidate in the February 25 election, of making attempts to discredit the judiciary for selfish political reasons.
Tinubu stated this while reacting to an accusation that he and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are making attempts to undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Atiku and Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, had approached the court to challenge the outcome of the election in which Tinubu was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The petitioners and respondents have closed their cases and filed written addresses of responses to issues raised by the parties at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
While judgement of the tribunal is being awaited, the parties in the case have in recent times been involved in verbal brickbats.
READ ALSO: Atiku To Tribunal: Uphold INEC’s Declaration That I won In 21 States
Last week, two issues came up regarding the election petition pending at the tribunal. One was the allegation of a telephone conversation said to have taken place between President Tinubu and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola over the outcome of the election petition. The CJN subsequently issued a statement denying the allegation. Secondly, an online report emerged claiming that on of the five-member panel of justices handling the presidential election petition has resigned over attempts to influence him to compromise on the ruling. It was however, also debunked to be fake.
Atiku, in a statement released on Saturday, signed by his Special Adviser on media, Paul Ibe, alleged that Tinubu and his party are making attempts to undermine the judiciary and democracy generally in the country. Atiku alleged that Tinubu and the APC are working to ensure that judgement on the presidential election petition pending before the tribunal comes in his favour.
Reacting to Atiku’s allegation, Tinubu through a statement by his Special Adviser on Communications and Strategic Duties, Dele Alake, on Saturday night, said he won a free, fair and credible election on February 25.
Tinubu claimed that the election that produced him as president is the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.
He said he and APC has no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favourable judgement.
Part of the statement read: “We have read the laughable and jejune statement by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Candidate in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“It is obvious that having been thoroughly defeated by the All Progressives Congress and now President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the former Vice President has not fully hence the current attempt to mischievously rake up another round of inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking.
“In the ill-thought out and illogical statement, Alhaji Atiku accused the current administration of the governing APC of plotting to undermine the judiciary without providing any shred of evidence. Apart from innuendos, insinuations and outright lies contained in the said press statement, the former Vice President Atiku didn’t put forward any convincing argument to support his claims on how the President Tinubu-led administration and APC sought to undercut, undermine and compromise the judiciary.
“If the former Vice President believes in democracy and the sanctity of the Judiciary, as claimed, he would not engage in making spurious and wild allegations aimed at disparaging and discrediting an important arm of government that should serve as the bulwark for our democracy.
“He shamelessly resorted to this cheap attempt to intimidate and blackmail the Judiciary even when he is party to a case before the Presidential Election Petition Court.”
Alake said that when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, rule of law and independence of Judiciary in Nigeria, “President Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar.”
According to him, Tinubu as governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007, “successfully challenged many of the draconian and obnoxious decisions of the PDP-led Federal Government that trampled on the rights of the States as federating units” and won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the then PDP administration at the centre.
He stated that a leader with such record “will ever contemplate undermining the Judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku.”
“President Tinubu won a free, fair and credible election. The February 25, 2023 Presidential election that produced him is the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.
“President Tinubu and the APC absolutely have no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favourable judgement.”
He added that Tinubu and APC’s lawyers have put up a solid defence of the result of the election and has the confidence that the “judiciary will impartially deliver its ruling on the basis of points of law and evidence before it, not based on presumptuous speculations and unfounded accusations.
“Atiku Abubakar should be honourable enough as a statesman to allow the Judiciary perform its sacred duty without harassment and this resort to self-help. Attempting to discredit an important institution of State for selfish political end is disingenuous, shameful and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria. This desperation must stop,” Alake stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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