Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President and the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25, 2023 Presidential Election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has set the machinery in place his to appeal the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, which on Wednesday, dismissed his petition against the election President Bola Tinubu.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja on his decision to appeal the PEPT judgement, he said, “The last presidential election in our country and the way it was managed by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, leaves behind unenviable precedents, which I believe the courts have a duty to redress.”
He said he has “asked my lawyers to activate my constitutionally guaranteed rights of appeal to the higher court, which, in the instance, is the Supreme Court. 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.”
Atiku said his decision to go to court is anchored in his belief that the court is the sanctuary of justice.
“Like I did say at the beginning of this legal battle when I instructed my lawyers to file my petition, challenging the outcome of the presidential election, my ultimate goal in life.”
Waxing philosophical, Atiku urged all his 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.”
