By Abbas Bamalli
The Katsina State chapter of the PDP says the recent judgment by the presidential election tribunal in favour of President Bola Tinubu is far from justice.
Alhaji Umar Tsauri, the former Chairman of Atiku/Lado Campaign Team, stated this in Katsina while addressing newsmen on the recent judgment.
The presidential election tribunal upheld President Tinubu’s election, and another election tribunal in Katsina also upheld those of senators and House of Representatives from the state.
Tsauri explained that, “We actually believe that judgments had been passed, but without justice, because it had been denied.
“Recently, the tribunals have concluded their assignments and passed very unfortunate judgments that did not reflect the justice Nigerians expected.”
“We stand to say the judgment passed by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has been far from justice.
“In fact we would say that what the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) did during the elections was exactly what the PEPC did to Nigeria, Nigerians and the democratic process.”
He recalled that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, had told Nigerians that the commission would use the BVAS machines to make the elections accurate, free, fair and credible.
“We in the opposition believed him and became so relaxed with full confidence and optimism that a man of integrity, in fact a professor for that matter, who built integrity and respect to protect.
“Unfortunately, the reverse was the case because all he told Nigerians turned out to be a deceit. He deceived Nigerians by doing the opposite of his utterances.
“That is exactly what our learned justices of the court of appeal did while delivering the judgment without justice,” he alleged.
He further recalled that Justice Haruna Tsammani, during his inaugural speech, told Nigerians that the tribunal would be different from the previous tribunals because they would not base their judgments on technicalities but on facts.
According to Tsauri, Nigerins believed him and became relaxed, saying that their lawyers wasted much of their professional and judicial time bringing documents and witnesses to prove their cases.
“Unfortunately, the learned justice successfully wasted 12 and half hours reading judicial English without judicial facts and justice.
“They ended up passing judgment not even on technicalities but on collective personal interest,” Tsauri alleged.
According to him, the same pattern and plans have been placed by the tribunal in the state, saying that every right thinking person knows how the 2023 elections were conducted.
He also alleged that, “During the elections, there were uncountable numbers of electoral malpractices, intimidation, and in some polling units, elections could not be held due to insecurity.
“Two of our members were given red cards by the tribunal, based on technicality, while two of our Senators who approached the tribunal with convincing proof and evidence were shown the way out because of pure judicial injustice.
“We call on all the PDP supporters in Nigeria and Katsina to disregard the judgments delivered by the PEPC and that of the election tribunal in Katsina
“We the stakeholders, as law abiding citizens, have been compelled to agree with the judgment, but certainly not to accept it.
“We therefore, come out to say we completely reject the injustice meted in the name of tribunal judgment.” (NAN)
