July 23, (THEWILL) – The Presidency has urged the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to display statesmanship by allowing the Judiciary to carry out its sacred duty without interference or harassment.
It described as ‘laughable’ and ‘jejune’, the allegation raised by the former Vice President that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is making attempts to obstruct justice and undermine Nigeria’s democracy.
Atiku had, in a statement on Saturday, signed by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, alleged that the APC has initiated a new plot to intimidate judges to deliver judgement favourable to the party in the ongoing presidential election petition pending before the tribunal.
Ibe said the February 25 presidential election was deeply flawed, which made Atiku and other political parties seek redress in court over the outcome of the polls.
But in a swift reaction, The Presidency, in a statement issued on Saturday night, by Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said the former Vice President is evidently “still reeling from the shock of his loss, following his defeat by the APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the February 25, 2023, election.
Alake said Atiku’s attempt to undermine a vital state institution for personal political gain is dishonest, disgraceful, and not befitting of a former Vice President of Nigeria, saying this level of desperation must come to an end.”
The statement read: “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.
“Let it be said that when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, rule of law and independence of Judiciary in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar. When President Tinubu was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of the rule of law as the building block for good governance as Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, under a PDP central government, Alhaji Atiku was nowhere to be found.
“It is on record and to his eternal credit that President Tinubu, through the instrumentality of the law and Judiciary, 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.
“Lagos State, under the leadership of the then Governor Tinubu, won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the hydra-headed PDP administration at the centre.
“No leader with such a sterling and enviable credential as a champion of rule of law, independence of judiciary like President Tinubu 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.
“His lawyers and that of APC have presented a very solid defence of the result of the election and we are sure 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 ends is disingenuous, shameful and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria. This desperation must stop.”
