Presidential Election Petition Court Faces Scrutiny Over “Tinubu Legal Team” Header in Judgment Copies …Former Vice President and PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar Raises Questions
ABUJA/Nigeria: Former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called upon the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to clarify perplexing concerns surrounding the presence of the “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team” header in copies of their judgment.
In a statement released on Saturday in Abuja by Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant (Communications) to Atiku Abubakar, it was stressed that the aim was not to provoke controversy but rather to seek transparency. The statement raised questions regarding why the PEPC chose to feature the Respondents’ header on the Certified True Copy (CTC) of their judgment, while the copies provided to the petitioners did not contain the same header.
Phrank Shaibu noted that the court must provide an explanation for why the Tinubu Legal Team seemed to be granted special privileges in this regard. He said, “It is very clear that there are many questions begging for answers, including why the PEPC came to the decision to avail the Respondents, especially the Tinubu Legal Team, the CTC of the judgment before the Plaintiffs.”
The statement further emphasized the urgency for the petitioners to receive the document promptly in order to file an appeal with the Supreme Court within the prescribed 14-day timeframe. It questioned why the PEPC granted the Tinubu Legal Team priority in accessing the judgment, despite assurances made to Atiku’s lead counsel regarding the timely receipt of the document.
Additionally, suspicions were raised about potential collaboration between the PEPC and the Tinubu Legal Team. The statement inquired about the circumstances that allowed the “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team” header to appear in an official document of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria.
The statement clarified that the inclusion of the header was not a watermark or metadata but a header, which typically contains information such as the document’s title, chapter heading, and other relevant details. It insisted that, without a valid explanation, the Tinubu Legal Team must be considered the originator of the document.
In conclusion, the statement called upon the PEPC to provide answers to these pressing questions as the legal challenge now moves to the Supreme Court. Atiku’s camp emphasized that this challenge was not about Atiku alone but aimed to safeguard the integrity of the Nigerian judiciary and democracy itself, particularly in the face of challenges to various state institutions.
“It is indeed our last ditch effort to salvage our country and deepen our democracy,” the statement declared. “Our intent is to ensure that the judiciary, the last hope of the common man, does not go to the dogs.”
As the legal and political drama unfolds, all eyes are on the PEPC to address these concerns and maintain the trust of the Nigerian people in the judicial system.
