Atiku reacts after supreme court dismisses PDP’s suit to disqualify Tinubu and Shettima
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the ruling of Supreme Court in his party suit seeking to disqualify President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court disqualified the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s suit seeking to disqualify his principal ahead of the May 29 inauguration.
A five-member panel of the supreme court held that the PDP and its presidential candidate lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.
The panel said the PDP is not a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, reacting to the judgement on his official Twitter handle, Atiku said it is not a setback to his quest for justice.
Supreme Court dismisses PDP’s suit against Tinubu, Shettima
“The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case of the @OfficialPDPNig
is not a setback to my quest for justice. Our legal team are primed to robustly prove that the election of February 25 was fraudulent, did not comply with the constitutional requirements and the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission,
@inecnigeria
, and that the announced winner was not even qualified to contest the poll.
“The battle for democracy and the enthronement of a new order to spur growth and development in Nigeria is one to which I have committed my all and for which I am not ready to walk away at this point when our nation is at crossroads. We know that sooner than later, our esteemed Justices will make the pronouncement that will serve as a befitting requiem for mandate bandits.
“I urge my supporters to exercise patience and conduct themselves peaceably as we diligently conduct our litigation at the Presidential Election Tribunal Court,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja has ordered the merger of the cases filed by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to challenge Bola Tinubu’s victory as Nigeria’s president-elect.
The five-member panel of the court headed by Haruna Tsammani cited time constraint as the basis for its decision, in a ruling on Tuesday.
The court has 180 days from the time the three petitions were filed in mid-March to conclude the hearing and deliver its judgement.
In a ruling detailing a report of its pre-hearing session on Mr Obi’s petition, on Tuesday, the court ordered a consolidation of the three pending petitions.
The panel’s chair, Mr Tsammani, citing Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act 2022, said the interest of justice would be served by a merger of the petitions.
The petitioners – Atiku, Obi and APM – are urging the court to nullify Mr Tinubu’s victory owing to alleged rampant malpractices during the conduct of the 25 February presidential election.
They accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of manipulating the electronic process in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Tinubu.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second in the race, while Labour Party’s Obi came third.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
