Presidential Tribunal Begins Hearing Today

As the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) begins hearing today, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the judiciary to resist and insulate itself from the alleged plots to compromise its independence and impartiality.

The PDP stated this while accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to influence the outcome of the petitions before the tribunal.

LEADERSHIP reports that the much-anticipated hearing of presidential petitions begins today.

The PDP, the Labour Party (LP) and their candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively, after the February 25 election, filed petitions at the tribunal seeking, among others, the annulment of the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the ruling APC as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tinubu, APC and INEC have also filed counter-petitions at the tribunal, dismissing the claims of the PDP and LP.

But addressing the press conference yesterday, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba alleged plots by APC to influence the tribunal.

He stated that the APC leaders had been intimidating, harassing and threatening Nigerian youths and eminent Nigerian personalities for speaking out against planned moves to install a government that does not enjoy the mandate of the majority of Nigerians as expressed at the polling units.

Ologunagba said the alleged planned onslaught by APC leaders on eminent Nigerians and democratic institutions, including the Judiciary, stems from APC’s apprehensions given the weight of evidence against it as well as the continuing refusal by a majority of Nigerians to accept the outcome of the flawed presidential election.

He said, “The PDP restates its call on the Judiciary to resist and insulate itself from the alleged and reported antics of the APC in the discharge of its constitutional duties as independent and impartial arbiter in the pending petition before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

“It is imperative to state that the reckless violation by INEC of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC Guidelines and Manual in the 2023 presidential election portend grave consequences to our democracy and political stability as a country.”

The PDP spokesman said there are apprehensions in the public space over the reputation of certain individuals “within the highest level of the APC” who have demonstrated capacity and proclivity to regularly compromise democratic institutions in the country.

The opposition party recalled that on Friday, May 5, 2023, it raised the alarm over the massively condemned comments by the APC presidential candidate, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of some judiciary projects in Port-Harcourt Rivers State, wherein he attempted to corrupt, cultivate and patronise the Judiciary.

“More alarming are allegations in the public space of attempts by certain APC leaders to compromise the judiciary with heavy financial inducement and to orchestrate trumped-up allegations of impropriety against judicial officers.”

PDP said the APC and its leaders should immediately come clean and publicly address Nigerians and the world on these disturbing allegations and revelations which are already in the public domain.

“Further to this is the provocative resort by the APC and its leaders to threaten Nigerians with treason for speaking out against the manipulations of our democratic processes by the APC.”

According to the PDP spokesman, a majority of Nigerians are insisting on the review of the February 25, 2023 presidential election because it was marred by wide-spread manipulations, open alteration of genuine election results from the polling units, allocation of fictitious figures to the apc and brazen violation of the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Electoral Act, 2022 as well as INEC Manual and Guidelines by INEC itself in its declaration of a winner of the election.

The PDP spokesman added that the bizarre response by INEC, which is an umpire that ought to be independent, to the petition of the PDP and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, requesting for the dismissal of its petition, is further evidence of the complicity, corruption and compromise of INEC by the APC.

“It is instructive for INEC and the APC to note that the tribunal hearing is part of the electoral process. The APC and INEC are therefore advised to halt further steps to hinder the ability of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal to dispense justice in the matter in accordance with the law

“The only way to guarantee peace, unity and stability of our nation is to uphold the will of the people as expressed at the polling units in the February 25, 2023 presidential election and the PDP is confident in the ability of the Judiciary to discharge its constitutional duties in this regard independently,” he said.