THE Presidential Elction Petition Court finally delivered its judgement on Wednesday in which the Justices of the court unanimously dismissed the petitions of the AlliedPeoples Movement, APM; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Labour Party, LP; and their candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi respectively for lack of merit.
THE court ruled that the APM petition was “devoid of any merit”, and that it was not qualified to challenge the eligibility of a candidate in a different political party. It also dismissed the petition of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and that of Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as “vague” and “lacking in merit”.
THE two candidates, Obi and Atiku have vowed to challenge the judgements at the apex court. Atiku while reacting to the judgment said he refused to accept the decision for being bereft of substantial justice. Obi. on the other hand, acknowledged the Tribunal’s adherence to statutory time frame but disagreed with the judgment’s rationale and final conclusions. He expressed his intention, in his capacity as a presidential candidate and on behalf of his party, to challenge the judgment. Section 285(7) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) guarantees them the right to appeal to the Supreme Court.
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has welcomed the judgement. President Tinubu in a statement expressed his preparedness to serve all Nigerians, irrespective of diverse political persuasions, faith, and tribal identities. He equally recognized the diligence, undaunted thoroughness, and professionalism of the five-member bench, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani in interpreting the law.
WE commend both Atiku and Obi for toeing the path of peaceful disputations on the election. We believe that once the inclination for rule of law towers over recourse to self-help and violence, the society will be a more peaceful and stable one for citizens and foreigners alike. This judgement has invariably reduced tensions associated with the February presidential election. It has also given the incumbent the seal to face the act of governance as the country’s challenges need a president that is fully concentrated.
THE court would go down in history for taking its time to do justice to all issues raised by the petitioners as the justices took the greater part of the day (13hours) to read the judgement. We therefore commend their Lordships for taking the pain and also allowing the judgement be beamed live on all news media in the country. Their actions have reduced tensions and insinuations within the political spectrum of the country. We recall the subtle political blackmail campaign of “all eyes on the judicial “ billboards and condemn such as it is not healthy for the integrity of the judiciary.
WE however commend the court for taking its time to attend to all issues raised before it and deliver judgement that would enrich the jurisprudence.
They have also showed that blackmail and any form of intimidation cannot sway their judgement. They have confirmed Niki Tobi’s (JSC) position that the court is a court of law and not of public opinion and that it would only be concerned with what is presented before it. We also encourage our lordships to allow judicial reforms. A situation where they read judgement for over 13 hours is not in the interest of their health. The time is now for them to embrace technology in order to make their assignments less stressful.
WE condemn the roles of some acclaimed Christian religious leaders who descended to the arena of politics by giving redundant and fake prophecies. We recall the despicable act of a particular church leader who pasted enlarged pictures of judges on the wall for congregants to pray for them. This we condemn and we call on security agencies not to let such action occur in the future.
WE believe that there are lessons to learn in this legal battle. The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, needs to improve on its operations. Electronic form of voting must be improved upon in order to reduce litigations arising from elections. Nigerians need to be convinced that their votes count. INEC also needs to peruse the electoral act and seek amendments in areas where it thinks requires an amendment. They also need to improve on their operations and ensure that they organize a better election next time. There is the need for Nigerians to trust our institutions, and the imperative of these institutions to legitimately earn the trust of the people.
NOW that the petitioners have decided to appeal the judgement, we enjoin them to limit their fireworks to the precincts of the court instead of discussing it on the social media. We urge them to respect the rule of law at all times. The future and stability of the country is more important than any individual or sectional interest. Let democracy be the winner, not individual ego or any narrow selfish interests. Now that the matter is before the Supreme Court, we urge their lordships to dispense justice without favor but in the interest of Nigeria.
