Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Abubakar Atiku, says heaven will not fall if the 2023 poll that produced Bola Tinubu as president is annulled by the tribunal.
In a final petition challenging President Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the presidential election put together by their lead counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), Atiku said the February 25 poll was the worst in the history of Nigeria.
The petitioners alledged that the election was marred by brazen subversion of the will of the Nigerian voters, despite the enactment of a new electoral act, the introduction of promising technological innovations to ensure transparency, a massive investment of public funds and guarantees by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that conducted the election.
According to Atiku, INEC used “technical glitch” as an excuse to “deliberately manipulate” the election results through suppression and discounting of his votes and inflation of those of Tinubu.
Atiku’s lawyer said in the address that INEC proceeded to declare Tinubu winner when he (Tinubu) did not meet the mandatory constitutional requirement of securing not less than a quarter of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Atiku and the PDP told the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that Tinubu was constitutionally disabled from contesting for the office of President of Nigeria in the light of the forfeiture judgement against him of the sum of $460,000 for narcotics related crime (proceed of crime) in the United States, as well as holding dual citizenship of Nigeria and Guinea in addition to presenting forged documents to INEC.
“With respect, reflect a complete misconception and unfortunate misunderstanding of the case of the petitioners, notwithstanding the magisterial arrogance, condescending cynism and overbearing misanthropy with which he has sought to trivialise the petitioners’ case.
“A subtle threat of apocalyptic catastrophe of national chaos and anarchy if a judgement is not given in a particular manner cannot deter the court of law from doing justice,” Atiku’s petition indicated.
