The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed disappointment with the judgement of the Supreme Court affirming President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election, saying it has shaken the confidence Nigerians have in the judiciary.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said this in a statement after the apex court’s judgement on Thursday.
The seven-member panel of justices that gave the judgement comprised Justices Inyang Okoro, Uwani Aji, Mohammed Garba, Ibrahim Saulawa, Adamu Jauro, Abubakar Tijjani, and Emmanuel Agim.
Agreeing with the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT), the Supreme Court ruled that the PDP and its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s petiton was “frivolous and vexatious and deserves to be dismissed”.
The apex court also rejected Atiku’s application seeking to present Tinubu’s credentials obtained from the Chicago State University (CSU).
Reacting, the PDP said it was “appalled” by the judgement.
“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,” the main opposition party said.
According to the party, 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.
“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 party said.