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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the Supreme Court judgement, which affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s election as disappointing.
The apex court had earlier on Thursday upheld the judgement of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC), which affirmed the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Tinubu, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi, had filed petitions challenging Tinubu’s victory at the PEPC.
However, a five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani on September 6, declared that the petitions clacked merit and affirmed the return of Tinubu.
Dissatisfied with the tribunal’s judgement, Atiku and Obi filed 86 grounds of appeal at the Supreme Court.
The apex court on Thursday dismissed their petitions for being vexatious, unmeritorious and lacking in merit.
Reacting to the Supreme Court judgement in a statement on Thursday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the party is alarmed, disappointed and gravely concerned with the decision of the apex court.
“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 the majority of Nigerians who looked up to it as a Temple of Impartiality to deliver substantial justice in the matter regarding the case’s laws and facts.
“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 per cent 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 opposition party said.
Ologunagba added that Nigerians are still at a loss as to how the Supreme Court condoned the serious issues of alleged 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 judgement,” he said.
The PDP spokesperson said the apex court’s judgement has shaken Nigerians’ confidence in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, as the last hope of the common man.
Ologunagba, who noted that PDP remains undeterred, urged Nigerians not to be discouraged or allow the judgement to detract them from their collective quest to entrench a credible electoral system that can guarantee a government that truly derives its legitimacy from the people.
Ondo PDP suspends youth leader
Meanwhile, the Ondo State chapter of the PDP has suspended its youth leader, Mr Folorunso Makinde.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Mr Kennedy Peretei, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.
“Pursuant to Section 58(1)(b)(f) and (i) of the PDP Constitution as amended in 2017, the State Working Committee has approved the indefinite suspension of the state youth leader, Mr Folorunso Makinde, for engaging in activities likely to bring the party to disrepute.
“He is accordingly advised to appear before the State Disciplinary Committee of the party for further interrogations within the next seven days.
“The party wishes to state unambiguously that it will not be deterred by the crafty devices of the APC who may have found a willing tool within the PDP to continue to ride rough shod on the good people of Ondo State,” the statement read in part.