Victor Ezeja
AdminFor throwing out the appeals filed before it by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) believes that the Supreme Court has cemented what it termed the unfortunate collapse of free, fair transparent electoral system in the country.
The pro-democracy group maintained that the apex court did not spring any surprise but did what most critics and civil rights leaders already predicted in its ruling delivered on Thursday “when it controversially and incredibly held that the appeal filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, lacked merit.”
READ ALSO: Supreme Court Strikes Out Atiku, Obi’s Appeal Against PEPC Judgment In Favour Of Tinubu
The seven-member panel of the Supreme Court had unanimously struck out the appeal after resolving all seven issues raised by the appellant in favour of Tinubu. The presiding justice of the panel, Inyang Okoro, dismissed the allegation by Atiku that the failure to promptly upload the polling unit results of the election to IReV amounted to non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, thus, invalidating the election.
The court dismissed this argument, saying IReV portal was not a result collation platform, therefore the failure by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload results onto it could not have invalidated the election.
The court further ruled that Tinubu’s failure to score 25 per cent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory when he had polled 25 per cent votes in over 24 states as required by law did not affect his victory in the election. Also, the apex court held that Atiku failed to prove his allegation of widespread rigging during the election or that he won the election
Also, in a unanimous verdict, the apex court held that the only different issue in Obi’s appeal, which is the allegation of double nomination of Kashim Shettima as vice-presidential candidate and a senatorial candidate in the February election, had been earlier resolved by the court and would not be allowed to be relitigated.
Reacting in a statement issued on Thursday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA dismissed the judgment is farcical and a mockery of justice, recalling to have predicted that the Supreme Court “is too ethically challenged and morally unprincipled to rule on points of law but will rely on technicalities to maintain the status quo”.
“The court known for always upholding elections of all the civilian presidents whose elections have been contested before them since 1979, also dismissed Mr. Peter Obi’s petition from the Labour Party just as the Supreme Court by refusing to admit a fresh evidence from Atiku Abubakar that shows clearly that President Tinubu as the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, had presented a dud and fake certificate of Chicago state University which the US based educational faculty denied knowing about it before a US Court, has conveyed the wrong message that institutionally, forging academic certificates doesnt matter to the court system in Nigeria.
“The Atiku Abubakar’s team that appeared in that US Court were also given evidence to show that the secondary school that Tinubu claimed to have graduated in 1970 in Lagos state was only established in 1974. This Supreme Court’s twin distorted and crime-ridden judgments is a final testament to the fact that it is of no moment or consequences if candidates for election present fake certificates provided they can Muster the capacity to manipulate the electoral process and get into office before the determination of any litigation challenging their crooked electoral victory or have enough dollar denominated cash to bribe judges,” the statement read in part.
The rights group called on Nigerians to unite and “take a decision to rescue our government and country from the corrupt ruling class and the morally corrosive judiciary in Nigeria”. It called on “Atiku Abubakar to quit politics and become a statesman and allow youngsters like Peter Obi and few other good people to refocus and re-energise opposition party to wrestle power if the laws are made to remove the powers of appointment of INEC Chairman and electoral officials by the President”.
Going forward, HURIWA says it expects Atiku to be a statement and spearhead the campaign for proper electoral reforms which would ensure that political cases are decided before any level of government is sworn in post-election.
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