By Latiifah Amusan
The presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, have voiced their strong disapproval of Wednesday’s court ruling that declared Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s duly elected president.
In a unanimous decision, the five-member panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, dismissed the petitions of the opposition candidates, citing their inability to prove the substance of their cases.
Atiku and Obi have vowed to appeal the judgment at the Supreme Court, the final authority in presidential election disputes.
Atiku’s lead lawyer, Chris Uche, confirmed they had received their client’s instruction to challenge the decision, while Mr. Obi’s lead counsel, Livy Uzoukwu, expressed the Labour Party’s candidate’s dissatisfaction and intention to appeal.
The Labour Party, represented by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, strongly criticized the judgment, stating that it did not reflect the law and the will of the people.
Ifoh emphasized that they would continue their fight for justice, as he believed that “justice was not served” in the tribunal’s verdict.
Livy Uzoukwu, speaking on behalf of Mr. Obi, expressed concerns about the difficulty electoral litigants face in proving their cases.
He warned against the potential consequences of eroding trust in electoral jurisprudence, suggesting that when candidates struggle to establish their cases, they may resort to other means.
The panel assured that the certified true copy of the judgment would be provided to all parties involved.
Although Atiku’s lawyer, Mr. Uche, initially requested a copy of the judgment immediately, Justice Tsammani informed them that copies would be available to the parties on the following day.
Vice President Kashim Shettima praised the court’s decision, describing it as a triumph of democracy.
He commended the judiciary for upholding constitutional democracy and conveyed Bola Tinubu’s satisfaction with the outcome.
