Court of Appeal Delays Certified True Copies of Election Judgment, Atiku and PDP Express Frustration
ABUJA/Nigeria: Three days following the delivery of its verdict on the petition by former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election, the Court of Appeal has yet to provide the certified true copies (CTC) of their judgment to the petitioners.
This delay comes at a critical juncture, as Atiku and his legal team have a mere 14 days remaining to file their appeal to the Supreme Court based on the Court of Appeal’s judgment.
In response to this setback, Special Assistant to Atiku on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, expressed deep concern, stating, “By not making available to Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the certified true copies of the judgment of Wednesday for its filings at the Supreme Court, the Presidential Election Petition Court is undermining Atiku’s and Nigerians’ quest for justice.”
Shaibu conveyed these sentiments in a press statement issued on Friday, highlighting the frustrations of Atiku and the PDP in advancing their appeal at the Supreme Court.
Shaibu pointedly reminded the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that during the earlier proceedings, it had dismissed the testimonies of some of Atiku’s witnesses due to late filing, emphasizing the importance of adhering to court-set timelines. He questioned, “Does the PEPC not understand that the lawyers representing Atiku/PDP need to digest the judgment as contained in the CTC, which represents the authentic pronouncements made in court on Wednesday, in order to formulate their case for filing?”
Furthermore, Shaibu raised concerns about the readiness of the judgment, stating, “It is curious that the same PEPC that claimed that the judgment was ready as at the time it was delivered on Wednesday is still grappling with typos and errors, according to available information. Why did the PEPC not wait till next week to deliver the judgment as it would still have met the legal deadline instead of rushing to render a judgment whose text is still undergoing panel beating?”
Shaibu criticized the delay, asserting, “It is anti-democratic of the court to steal, already at the last count, 3 precious days out of the 14-day time limit for Atiku to file his processes at the Supreme Court. The lost time would never be recovered.”
