September 7, (THEWILL) – Former Vice President and the Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his readiness to appeal the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, which on Wednesday, dismissed his petition against the declaration of All Progressives Congress (APC) Candidate, Senator Bola Tinubu, as the winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Addressing the Media at a World Press Conference in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku said he has decided to activate his constitutionally guaranteed right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
His words: “I have asked my lawyers to activate my constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which, in the instance, is the Supreme Court. It is my conviction that the electoral process in Nigeria should be devoid of untidy manipulations and that the outcome of every election should be a perfect reflection of the wishes of the electorate. I believe that such is the only way through which our democracy can have a manifest expression of its true meaning. Whether I prevail in this quest or not, the record of my effort in ensuring an order of credible elections in Nigeria shall remain for the future generations to evaluate.”
Atiku said his decision to go to court is anchored in his belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice.
He said, “The journey of my political career, as you know, holds so much to the courage and fearless decisions of our judiciary.
“Indeed, I am no stranger to legal battles, and I can say that I have a fair idea of how the court system works. All through my career as a politician, I have been a fighter, and I must say that I have found the judiciary as a worthy pillar to rest on in the pursuit of justice.
“The last presidential election in our country and the way it was managed by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, leaves behind unenviable precedents, which I believe the courts have a duty to redress.
“Our gains in ensuring transparent elections through the deployment of technology was heavily compromised by INEC in the way it managed the last presidential election, and I am afraid that the judgement of the court as rendered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal yesterday, failed to restore confidence in our dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations.
“Like I did say at the beginning of this legal battle when I instructed my lawyers to file my petition, challenging the outcome of the presidential election, my ultimate goal in this pursuit is to ensure that democracy is further strengthened through the principles and processes of fair hearing.
“I am, therefore, here to tell you that, though the judgement of the court yesterday is respected, it is a judgement that I refuse to accept. I refuse to accept the judgement because I believe that it is bereft of substantial justice. However, the disappointment in the verdict of the court can never destroy my confidence in the judiciary.”
Atiku urged all his supporters to remain steadfast.
“I urge them to take solace in an immortal lesson I learned from my leader and mentor, the late Shehu Yar’Adua, that losing a battle is less important than losing the war. We might have lost a battle yesterday, but the war is well ahead of us. And I believe that with our hopes in God, we shall win the war of restoring confidence in our electoral system”, he added.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
