According to THE PUNCH, as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) prepares to deliver its judgment, political parties have shared their expectations. Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) are contesting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s victory in the February 25th presidential election.
Umar Mohammed Bangari, the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, hosting the election petitions tribunal, has confirmed September 6, 2023, as the date for delivering judgment on the presidential poll.
The PDP, in anticipation of the judgment, emphasized that it wouldn’t speculate on the justices’ ruling, as it approached the tribunal with concrete evidence concerning the February 25 election.
Party spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, stated, “As a party, we won’t pre-empt the learned justices. We approached the panel with facts and evidence on why we are challenging the outcome of the election. We went to the tribunal fully armed with evidence because elections are about rules, laws, and due process.
“The justices will now look at the evidence before them and give their ruling. We are optimistic that this evidence will determine the outcome of this matter. We are hopeful of victory. This matter is not about the PDP and certainly not about Atiku. Nigerians and the international community are eagerly awaiting the end of this process.’’
On the other hand, the Labour Party expressed its determination to go to the Supreme Court if necessary, showing confidence in a favorable judgment based on the available evidence.
Kehinde Edun, the National Legal Adviser of the LP, conveyed this sentiment, stating, “The tribunal is not the final court. It is just the court of first instance for the presidential election. The court of appeal is the court of first instance.
“We still have an option to head for the Supreme Court. What is the reason to protest after the judgment on Wednesday? If we find a reason to appeal further, we will do it. The issue of protest does not arise now at all. If you are dissatisfied, you can still go upstairs. But we don’t think that will even happen. We are going to get the victory.
“But if it doesn’t go our way, we can now consider the reason for the outcome. When we look at the reason and feel dissatisfied, we will go to the Supreme Court.”
Regarding the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), its Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, expressed optimism about a favorable judgment. In the event of an unfavorable outcome, he assured that the party would respect the rule of law.
Ibrahim affirmed, “As the ruling party and a progressive one, we certainly have more confidence in the court than the cutlass anybody may want to brandish.”
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