Presidential Election Petition: Atiku ‘appeals’ to God, Nigerians as Supreme Court says case lacks merit

 

BY OUR EDITOR

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the dismissal of his appeals by the Supreme Court Wednesday, thereby bringing his campaign for the office of the president to a close.

Abubakar, 72, described the judgment as part of the challenges Nigeria must survive.

“While I believe that only God is infallible everywhere, and only Nigerians are infallible in our democracy, I must accept that the judicial route I chose to take, as a democrat, has come to a conclusion,” Atiku Abubakar twitted, hours after the Supreme Court sealed his fate.

The seven-man Supreme Court panel led by the Chief Justice of the Federation (CJN) Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad dismissed PDP and Atiku’s appeals for lacking in merit.

“We have examined all the briefs and the exhibits for over two weeks and we agree that there is no merit in this appeal,” Chief Justice, Tanko Muhammad said at the judgement.

“The appeal is dismissed,” he concluded, in a unanimous decision with six court justices.

Abubakar challenged the presidential election tribunal judgment which affirmed the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory at the February 2019 poll.

The tribunal in its judgment delivered by chairman, Justice Mohammed Garba, dismissed Abubakar’s petition in its “entirety.”

Abubakar approached the Supreme Court shortly after the September 11 tribunal’s ruling with 66 reasons why the Supreme Court should upturn the tribunal’s five-man panel decision.

The Supreme Court  convened a seven-man panel to hear PDP and Abubakar’s appeal.

On the panel were the Chief Justice of Nigeria Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, Justice Bode Rhodes -Vivour, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, Justice John Iyang Okoro, Justice Musa Datijo Muhammad, Justice Ejembi Eko and Justice Uwani Abaji.

But after the panel apportioned a maximum of 15 minutes to the counsel to argue his appeal, admonished him to go directly into the main appeal since such matters also formed part of the main appeal.

The counsel stood his ground, causing the court to adjourn for 15 minutes to enable the appellants’ defence team to decide on what to do with their time.

On resumption of the hearing, the seven-man panel unanimously dismissed Abubakar’s appeal because it lacked “merit.”

The court said it will give further reasons for its decision at a later date.