For Immediate Release
Houston, Texas, USA
July 10, 2023
Atiku legal team has done their job; election tribunal must deliver justice to Nigerian voters
The US-based registered non-governmental organization made up of members and lovers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) living abroad, Diasporans for PDP, has called on the election tribunal in Nigeria to work toward restoring the battered reputation of the judiciary by ensuring that justice is served in the case against Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was pronounced winner of the February 2023 presidential election by the National Electoral Commission (INEC) even when he did not meet the basic requirement to become president.
Diasporans for PDP expressed a major concern over the possibility that the election tribunal and even the Supreme Court of Nigeria may once again suffocate justice and deprive the majority of Nigerian voters the verdict they deserve.
This is happening at the conclusion of oral arguments, examination and cross-examination of witnesses at the election tribunal over the case against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the All Progressives Congress over malpractices in the February 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
“INEC disregarded the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act and their own Guidelines in regards to uploading and transmitting of presidential election results in a transparent and timely manner,” said the Founder and National Chair of Diasporans for PDP Honourable Mrs. Victoria Pamugo.
Recall that in that election, INEC broke all precedents by pronouncing Tinubu winner, irrespective of the obvious fact he did not meet the minimum constitutional requirement and did not obtain 25% of the total votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Section 134 (2 a and b) of the Nigerian constitution clearly states as follows:
134 (2) A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election-
134 (2A) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and
134 (2B) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election each of at least two- thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“The Atiku Abubakar legal team has done a fantastic job pointing out how and why INEC’s pronouncement of Tinubu as president-elect is absolutely wrong. Now, the ball is in the court of the tribunal to do its job without any nepotism or favoritism,” said the Founder and National Chair of Diasporans for PDP Honourable Mrs. Victoria Pamugo.
“Nigerians and the international community are watching! The truth of the matter is that Nigerians have no single confidence that this tribunal will deliver justice in this case. And you cannot blame them for losing trust in the judicial system because even recent rulings of the Supreme Court have appeared to turn the law upside down,” Hon. Pamugo said.
“This is why we are calling on the court to seize this opportunity to do the right thing in Nigeria by redeeming its battered image, especially in this case of blatant subversion of the electoral laws by INEC and APC.”
At the tribunal, Atiku Abubakar and PDP called 27 witnesses, including expert witnesses. The Atiku legal team tendered documentary evidence in support of their case. Those documents were all admitted as exhibits in spite of strong opposition from APC and Tinubu.
On the other hand, the National Electoral Commission (INEC) called but one witness. Tinubu himself also called only one witness. The Atiku legal team were able to show that the testimony of the other witnesses were not credible, and that the document they tendered, the report of the FCT in particular, was in favour of Atiku Abubakar. The respondent’s witness confirmed under cross examination that since 1999, every presidential candidate has scored 25% or more in FCT, except Tinubu. Tinubu had just 19.5% in the 2023 presidential election in FCT. He did not even win his own State.
“The Atiku legal team has done their job to prove that Tinubu did not qualify to be pronounced president. Now, all Nigerians are looking up to the Court to ensure that justice is done,” she said.
Diasporans for PDP is a United States-based and registered non-governmental organization with membership including but not limited to Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Kenya, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States of America.
For more information or questions about the organization or the PDP Diaspora Summit, please visit: diasporansforpdp.com.
Signed:
Chidi Igwe, PhD
National Publicity Secretary