*Says it is a sad commentary for nation’s democracy
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed serious disappointment at Thursday’s judgement of the Supreme Court which affirmed President Bola Tinubu as validly elected, describing it as a sad commentary for the nation’s democracy.
The PDP said this in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba in Abuja.
The party pointed out that the judgement of the nation’s apex court is against the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, the Guideline and Regulation issued by INEC under which the election was conducted.
The leading opposition party asserted that it is indeed a sad commentary for Nigeria’s democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law.
The party noted with regrets that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law and instead, it trashed the expectation of majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a Temple of Impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter having regards to the laws and facts of the case.
Nigerians, the PDP said, are still at a loss as to how the Supreme Court condoned the serious issues of forgery, falsehood and perjury on the altar of technicalities.
It pointed out that the general gloom, melancholy and sense of despondency across the country upon the delivery of the judgment is an ominous sign of eerie situation which portend grave consequences because of the disappointment embedded in the judgment.
This judgment by the apex court, the party added, has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man.
According to statement by Ologunagba, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is appalled by the judgment of the Supreme Court in the petition filed by the PDP and Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar against the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winners of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The PDP and indeed majority of Nigerians are alarmed, disappointed and gravely concerned with the reasoning of the Supreme Court which the PDP believes is against the express provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, the Guideline and Regulation issued by INEC under which the election was conducted.
“The PDP asserts that it is indeed a sad commentary for our democracy that the Supreme Court failed to uphold the provisions of the law.
“Instead, it trashed the expectation of majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a Temple of Impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter having regards to the laws and facts of the case.
“Nigerians earnestly expected the Supreme Court to uphold and defend the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution in terms of qualification and minimum requirement for a winner to be declared in a Presidential election in Nigeria especially with regards to the required statutory 25% of votes in the FCT as well as issues of violation of electoral Rules and Guidelines, brazen manipulations and alterations of election results by the APC.
“Nigerians are still at a loss as to how the Supreme Court condoned the serious issues of forgery, falsehood and perjury on the altar of technicalities.
“The general gloom, melancholy and sense of despondency across the country upon the delivery of the judgment is an ominous sign of eerie situation which portend grave consequences because of the disappointment embedded in the judgment.
Read Also: Full Speech: Atiku speaks on Tinubu’s academic records
“This judgment by the Supreme Court has evidently shaken the confidence of Nigerians in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court as the last hope of the common man.
“The PDP remains undeterred and charges Nigerians not to be discouraged or allow the judgment to detract from their collective quest for the entrenchment of a credible electoral system that can guarantee a government that truly derive its legitimacy from the people”, the statement concluded.
