PDP Rejects Presidential Election Petition Court Judgment

By Adesina Soyooye

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has rejected the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Court  which was delivered on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.

The Party  and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, had challenged the declaration of Bola Tinubu, Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Atiku said Tinubu should not have been declared President as he was neither qualified to run,  nor won the election.

They cited many issues why Tinubu should not have declared winner, including his alleged conviction in the USA and mass rigging.

But on Wednesday, the five-member Panel made up of Court of Appeal Judges, unanimously, dismissed the petition and all the issues it raised. Tinubu was affirmed as duly elected.

The petition by the Labour Party, LP, and its Candidate, Peter Obi, also suffered same fate.

But in a Press Statement issued on Wednesday, and signed  by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the Party said it “unequivocally reject the said judgement in its entirety.” The judgment is “against reason”, the statement added.

The full text of the statement reads:

“Few moments ago, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) delivered Judgment in the Petition filed by our Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Candidate, Atiku Abubakar against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the declaration of the APC and Senator Tinubu as Winner of the February 25, 2023 Presidential election by INEC.

“As a Party, we have had an initial review of the Judgment as delivered by the PEPC and we unequivocally reject the said Judgement in its entirety.

“The Judgement is against reason, against the facts and evidence presented in Court; against the relevant Electoral Laws, Guidelines and Regulations as well as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). Indeed, the Judgment is generous in technicalities and very short in delivering substantial justice in the matter.

“The PDP, as a law-abiding political Party, will with our lawyers, have a comprehensive review of the Judgment and decide on the next line of action within the ambit of the law.

“The PDP calls on Nigerians to remain at alert, calm and united as our Party continues to lead the charge to defend Democracy and ensure that the Will of the people as expressed in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election is respected and restored.”