The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar has said verdict rendered by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Wednesday failed to restore confidence in Nigerians’ dreams of free and fair elections devoid of human manipulations.
Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku who disclosed this at a Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday, added that the the disappointment in the verdict of the court can never destroy his confidence in the judiciary.
Recall that Atiku and other opposition Parties had approached the court in a petition over the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaration of All Progressive Congress candidate and President Tinubu as winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
On Wednesday, the Presidential Election Petition Court affirmed Tinubu as validly elected President of Nigeria, after dismissing the petition of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the All Peoples Movement (APM).
Haruna Tsammani, the head of the five-member panel of the court who delivered the lead judgement which was aimed at the credibility of the 25 February presidential election, to be dismissed by the court in its record 12 hour- long judgement.
According to Atiku, “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. I am therefore here to tell you that, though the judgment of the court yesterday is respected, it is a judgment that I refuse to accept.
“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 added.
The PDP Presidential Candidate said further that he has asked his lawyers to activate his constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which, in the instance, is the Supreme Court.
Atiku said, “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”.
He urged all his supporters to remain steadfast, while asked them to take solace in an immortal lesson he has learned from his 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”, the former Vice President added.