Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has vehemently rejected the judgment of the presidential election petition tribunal.
The tribunal upheld the election victory of President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday, a decision that has since stirred significant controversy and political debate across the nation.
Atiku who served as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 polls, said he challenged Tinubu’s victory at the presidential election tribunal because he believes the court is the “sanctuary of justice”.
“The verdict handed down by the court,” Abubakar asserted, “failed to restore confidence in our dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations.”
He went on to emphasize that his ultimate goal in pursuing the legal battle was to strengthen democracy by ensuring that the principles and processes of fair hearing were upheld.
“Gentlemen of the press,” Abubakar began, “I take great pains to tell you that the decision of the court of first instance on this matter utterly falls far short of that expectation.”
Despite his respect for the court’s judgment, Atiku Abubakar declared that he could not accept it. “I refuse to accept the judgment 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.”
He further revealed that drawing from his extensive experience in legal battles, he has instructed his legal team to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. Abubakar stated, “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.”
In his passionate plea for electoral transparency, Abubakar expressed his firm belief that the electoral process in Nigeria should be free from manipulation and that election outcomes should accurately reflect the desires 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 future generations to evaluate.”
Atiku Abubakar encouraged his supporters to remain steadfast and resolute, assuring them that he is committed to winning the battle for the restoration of confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
“On this note,” he concluded, “I urge all my 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.”
Atiku Abubakar’s determination to continue the legal battle has set the stage for a protracted legal and political contest that will undoubtedly shape Nigeria’s political landscape in the months to come.
