Posted by By FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja on
Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the last general elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on Tuesday vowed to press ahead in his quest to have the elections nullified, even as he asserted that he would contest the tribunal's verdict at the Supreme Court.
Presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the last general elections, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on Tuesday vowed to press ahead in his quest to have the elections nullified, even as he asserted that he would contest the tribunal's verdict at the Supreme Court.
His stance, however, differs sharply from that of his party, which has accepted the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal upholding President Umar Yar'Adua's victory.
Buhari, who spoke outside the court premises shortly after the tribunal's verdict, described the verdict as the semi-final. He said he would appeal to the Supreme Court within the three weeks time frame allowed.
'For us it is semi-final. We are proceeding to the Supreme Court," Buhari told reporters.
Also commenting, the lead counsel to Buhari, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN), expressed disappointment with the judgment.
Ahamba said he presented the proof of facts that results of the election were dated April 20 as against April 21, which was the actual date of the presidential election. Meanwhile, ANPP has hailed the verdict, saying the party was satisfied.
The party, which spoke through its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, said ANPP had accepted the judgment in good faith, because so far the judiciary has performed well.
On the position of its candidate, Gen. Mohammadu Buhari that the verdict was a semi- final and that he would head for the Supreme Court, the ANPP spokesman said the party had not given Buhari the go-ahead and that only the appropriate organs of the party could decide on that.
He said: 'ANPP has no cause to doubt the integrity of the judiciary. The judgments from other states have largely been in favour of the party, which suffered the injustices of the ruling party and INEC. Therefore, we have taken the verdict in good faith.
'We found out that the judiciary has stood up to its responsibility. Gen Buhari, just like any other ANPP member, has the right to his own opinion, but we have not decided on appeal, He is the party's candidate, and has to abide by the party's decision".
He stated that the verdict was a well deserved one because the presidential election is not a child's play.
'No party member can go on appeal without the party's approval. The election has come and gone and we are happy about the outcome of the appeal at the tribunal," Eneukwu said.