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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described Tuesday's judgment of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal as a slap on the face of Nigerians.
• We'll go to Supreme Court, says AC
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described Tuesday's judgment of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal as a slap on the face of Nigerians.
Atiku, who saw no justice in the decision of the tribunal that the April 2007 presidential election was a fair representation of the free will of the people, said he had instructed his lawyers to file an appeal at the Supreme Court. He warned that the future of free and fair elections in Nigeria has been endangered.
He said: 'Today, in an epochal and far reaching judgment, the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal has, in its own wisdom, decided that the charade called ‘elections' held in April of last year was a fair representation of the free will of the Nigerian people.
'Today's judgment is not a decision against Atiku Abubakar or the Action Congress. No! It is the peace loving people of Nigeria who have lost today. In my own humble opinion, the people of Nigeria have had their voices silenced again. Justice has not been done and the rape of our young democracy has been sustained. The future of constitutional democracy and free and fair elections in Nigeria, nay, Africa, remains imperiled and we must redouble our efforts at vigilance."
Even though he observed that election disputes have degenerated into anarchy and near civil war in several countries in Africa, Atiku maintained that there is no better way to seek redress for electoral fraud than the court.
'I have instructed my team of lawyers to compile the records of today's proceedings and to, immediately file an appeal at the Supreme Court of Nigeria to overturn this judgment," he said.
Atiku's party, the Action Congress also issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the decision of the tribunal.
The party said it had always known that the petition filed by its presidential candidate, against the April 21, 2007 election of President Umaru Yar'Adua would be determined conclusively by the Supreme Court.
The party expressed shock and dismay that given the preponderance of evidence, the election panel could still go ahead to legitimise electoral fraud and gangsterism by validating Yar'Adua ‘s election.
In the statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, AC argued that its confidence in the judiciary remained unshaken despite the judgment.
The statement reads in part: 'We in the AC have always shown tremendous respect for the judiciary because of its forthrightness, fairness and fearlessness.
'Today's judgment has not changed that, even though we would have wished that the tribunal would rule otherwise, considering the preponderance of solid evidence showing that what was passed on for election on April 21 was nothing but a charade, a make-belief and a mockery of election process.''
The party called on its supporters to remain calm in the aftermath of the ruling, saying it was confident that the Supreme Court will resolve the contentious issues involved once and for all, and in good time too.