Politics
Presidential Tribunal: Heavens Won’t Fall If You’re Removed, Atiku Replies Tinubu
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
A former Vice President and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has tackled President Bola Tinubu over his position that nullifying the outcome of the presidential election that held on February 25, may lead to anarchy in the country.
Atiku, through his team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, said he observed that President Tinubu, in the final written address he filed before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, misunderstood the depth of issues that were raised against his election.
The PDP candidate, who placed reliance on Supreme Court decided case-law, maintained that the heavens would not fall, should the court nullify President Tinubu’s election.
According to him, “the fact that a presidential election has never been nullified by the Courts in Nigeria before now, is not a good reason not to do so now, as it is very just to do.”
In the process he filed before the court, Atiku, who came second in the presidential contest, stated: “At this stage, it is pertinent to observe from the outset that the 2nd Respondent’s Final Written Address, with respect, reflects a complete misconception and unfortunate misunderstanding of the case of the Petitioners, notwithstanding the magisterial arrogance, condescending cynicism and overbearing misanthropy with which he has sought to trivialise the Petitioners’ case, as will be shown hereunder.
“Furthermore, a subtle threat of apocalyptic catastrophe of national chaos and anarchy if a judgment is not given in a particular manner cannot deter a Court of law from doing justice.
‘The Court must do justice, rather ‘let the heavens fall’; but as courageously stated by the Supreme Court per Oguntade JSC, in the epic case of AMAECHI vs. INEC & ORS (2008) LPELR-446(SC) (Pp. 67-68 paras. D): ‘I must do justice even if the heavens fall. The truth of course is that when justice has been done, the heavens stay in place.’
READ ALSO: Atiku Blackmailing Judiciary, Yet To Recover From Shock Defeat – Tinubu
“It is also pertinent to observe that the Final Written Address of the 2nd Respondent was filed in flagrant defiance of, and non-compliance with, the mandatory provisions of Paragraph 5(c) and (d) of the Election Judicial Proceedings Practice Directions, 2023, rendering same invalid.
“We urge your Lordships to discountenance as well as strike out the said Final Written Address for gross non-compliance,” he added.
Alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, “clearly mismanaged the election as shown by evidence,” the former VP, said the sole witness the electoral body produced before the court, admitted that the technological innovation introduced through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and transmission to the IReV portal, was to guarantee the transparency and integrity of the election results.
Atiku stressed that despite the innovations, INEC, through its witness, admitted that there was a “technical glitch” that made the system to fail to work.
He said the witness, who is a Director in charge of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, at the INEC, “further admitted that the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held on same day and with same BVAS machines.
“He openly admitted that at the time the result was declared on 1st March 2023, all the results had not been uploaded to the IReV.
“He was shown the European Union Observers Final Report, which was admitted as Exhibit RA6, and he read out the relevant portions indicting the conduct and outcome of the presidential election.
READ ALSO: 2023 Polls: INEC Meets Collation, Retuning Officers For Post-election Review
“It is instructive to note that despite the uniqueness of the new regime of election management, INEC failed to call even one field officer, or agent or staff, or any ward collation agent, or local government collation agent or state collation agent or poll officials, any of its numerous registration area technicians (Ractechs), or even the Presiding Officers (PO), Assistant Presiding Officer (APO 1, APO 11, APO 111) who handled the BVAS machines or who person who operated any aspect of the technological system including the IReV to give evidence or to even explain the nebulous technical glitch,” Atiku added.
Besides, he argued that President Tinubu did not call any witness in support of his claim of victory in the election, “but only one witness, a certain Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who claimed to be practising law in the United State as well as in Nigeria and at the same time, a serving Senator, who came to speak on the qualifications of the 2nd Respondent, and admitted that the name of the 2nd Respondent is the subject of the US forfeiture judgment admitted in Court as EXHIBIT PBF1.
“He admitted that the 2nd Respondent did not score 25% of the votes cast in the FCT in the election.”
Atiku, therefore, prayed the court to declare that the return of President Tinubu as winner of the election, “was invalidated by reason of substantial non-compliance with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 on electronic transmission of results for collation and verification by deliberate bypass of and failure to transmit the election results electronically.”
“The Petitioners have established that the return of the 2nd Respondent as the winner of the Presidential election held on 25th day of February 2023, was unlawful and unconstitutional, having not secured one-quarter of the valid votes cast in the FCT, Abuja as required by the Constitution of the Federal of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended).
“The Petitioners have established that the 2nd Respondent was clearly disqualified under the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended) to contest the Presidential election held on 25th day of February 2023, having regard to order of criminal forfeiture on him arising from drug-related offence, his declaration of allegiance to a country other than Nigeria and acquisition of citizenship of another Country, and presenting a forged certificate to the 1st Respondent.
“The Petitioners have proved that 2nd Respondent was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast in the election.
“The Respondents proffered very scanty evidence in defence, and virtually abandoned their pleadings by not calling necessary witnesses, not having any credible defence to the Petition.
READ ALSO: Reactions As Fubara Nullifies Wike’s Recruitment Into Rivers Varsity
“We submit with all sense of responsibility that this Nation and its Judiciary stand at the threshold of history. We submit that the fact that a presidential election has never been nullified by the Courts in Nigeria before now, is not a good reason not to do so now, as is very just to do.
“As was eloquently put by the celebrated Law Lord, Denning MR in the case of PACKER vs. PACKER (1954) AC P.15 AT 22:- ‘What is the argument on the other side? Only this, that no case has been found in which it had been done before. That argument does not appeal to me in the least. If we never do anything which has not been done before we shall never act anywhere. The law will stand still whilst the rest of the world goes on and that will be bad for both.’
“May our law and our country no more stand still, while the rest of the world goes on,” the PDP candidate added in the final brief of argument he filed alongside his party.
It will be recalled that President Tinubu had earlier challenged the legal competence of Atiku’s petition which he said grossly lacked merit.
In a preliminary objection he filed before the court, Tinubu, described Atiku as a consistent serial loser that had since 1993, crisscrossed different political parties, in search of power.
He said: “The 1st petitioner (Atiku) has been consistently contesting and losing successive presidential elections in Nigeria since 1993, whether at the party primary election level or at the general election; including 1993, when he lost the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primary election to the late Chief M.K.O Abiola; 2007, when he lost the presidential election to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua; 2011, when he
lost the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primary election to President Goodluck Jonathan; 2015, when he lost the APC primary election to President Muhammadu Buhari; 2019, when he lost the presidential election to President Muhammadu Buhari; and now, 2023, when he has again, lost the presidential election to the respondent.
“Further to (iv) supra, it was/is not a surprise and/or not by accident that the electorate rejected the 1st petitioner at the polls of the presidential election held on 25th February, 2023”.
Insisting that he was validly returned as winner of the presidential election by INEC, Tinubu, told the court that unlike Atiku, he has been “a most consistent politician, who has not shifted political tendency and alignment.”
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Politics
FULL LIST: APC Sweeps Rivers Elections, Wins 20 Of 23 LGAs
Published
2 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The All Progressives Congress has emerged victorious in a landslide victory in the Saturday Rivers State local government elections, securing 20 out of the 23 LGAs.
According to The PUNCH, the Chairman, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Dr Michael Odey, announced the results at the commission’s Headquarters along Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Sunday afternoon.
According to Odey, the Peoples Democratic Party managed to clinch the remaining three LGAs.
The full list of chairpersons-elect is as follows:
READ ALSO:Group Fumes As Rivers CJ Inaugurates LG Poll Tribunal
1. Abua/Odual: Ofori Owolabi (APC)
2. Ahoada East: Solomon Achoma (APC)
3. Ahoada West: Eugene Epelle (APC)
4. Akuku Toru: Bob Fubara (APC)
5. Andoni: Lucky Promise (APC)
6. Asari Toru: George Onegiyeofori (APC)
7. Bonny: Abinye Blessing Pepple (APC)
8. Degema: Michael John Williams (APC)
9. Eleme: Obarilomate Ollor (APC)
10. Emohua: Chidi Loyd (APC)
11. Etche: Njoku Boniface (APC)
12. Gokana: Dekor Confidence (APC)
READ ALSO:Wike Gives Update On Rivers Emergency Rule Expires Date
13. Ikwerre: Charles Wobodo (APC)
14. Khana: Bariere Thomas (APC)
15. Obio/Akpor: Gift Worlu (PDP)
16. Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni: Shedrach Ogbogu (PDP)
17. Ogu/Bolo: Vincent Nemioboka (APC)
18. Okrika: Akuro Tobin (APC)
19. Omuma: Obasi Uchechwuku (APC)
20. Opobo/Nkoro: James A. James (APC)
21. Oyigbo: Okechukwu Akara (APC)
22. PHALGA: Allwell Ihunda (PDP)
23. Tai: Mbakpone Okpe (APC)
The RSIEC Chairman also disclosed that certificates of return will be presented to the winners on Monday, September 1.
This election marks the first time the APC has gained such dominance in Rivers State since the return of democracy in 1999.
Politics
Keyamo Warns PDP Against Fielding Jonathan, Obi In 2027
Published
3 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party risks serious setbacks in its 2027 presidential strategy if it opts for former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi as its standard-bearer.
In a long post on his X account on Sunday, Keyamo said the opposition party remains in a “non-enviable position” after failing to zone its 2023 ticket to the South, a decision he said cost the PDP support in its traditional strongholds in the South-South and South-East.
Keyamo argued that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger tied to section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which he suggested could bar anyone sworn in twice as president from contesting again.
“If he is fielded, the Party runs the RISK of NOT HAVING A CANDIDATE AT ALL,” Keyamo wrote, warning that such a legal challenge would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.
READ ALSO:APC Mocks Jonathan As ADC Woos Him For 2027 Race
“The constitutional amendment was made AFTER the court judgment which cleared him (Jonathan) to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment, hence I use the word ‘RISK’ advisedly. All the arguments as to whether the section can be interpreted to affect him will not be decided on Social Media, but at the Supreme Court.
“If he is barred from running AFTER nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it.”
He added that the party would bear responsibility if it ignored the legal risk and lost its candidacy after nominations closed.
“All the arguments … will not be decided on social media, but at the Supreme Court,” he said.
Keyamo also dismissed the likelihood of a successful South-West flagbearer for the PDP.
READ ALSO:Jonathan, Obi Can’t Match APC’s Strength For 2027 – Mustapha Salihu
“If the PDP decides to field its most attractive S/West candidate, no other region of the country will vote for a fresh Yoruba candidate who would be eligible for a fresh two terms in office.
“And that candidate will battle with the well-oiled APC structures in the S/West. You need a majority of at least 3 to 4 regions in Nigeria to win the Presidency.”
On Peter Obi, the minister said bringing the former Labour Party candidate into the PDP fold would not solve the party’s problems.
He suggested doubts about Obi’s credibility, plus his past one-term pledge, could dilute support among his core followers.
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“The principled ones amongst the ‘obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit … and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore,” Keyamo wrote.
Concluding his assessment, the minister blamed the PDP’s current predicament on what he called its “original sin” of not zoning the 2023 ticket to the South.
“The young social media warriors may lampoon anyone talking about these zoning sentiments, but that is the REALITY of our politics,” he said, adding that unless “something EXTRAORDINARY happens, the Party may have to wait till 2031.”
The PDP has not publicly responded to Keyamo’s comments.
Politics
Ex-Tinubu Campaign Coordinator Resigns From APC
Published
3 hours agoon
August 31, 2025By
Editor
The former Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Coordinator in Zamfara State, Senator Kabiru Marafa has confirmed his resignation from the All Progressives Congress.
Marafa, who confirmed his registration to Channels Television via text message on Sunday, left the ruling party after a meeting with his political structure last Wednesday and Thursday.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the leaders of the group unanimously resolved to dump the APC over what they described as injustice, neglect, and worsening insecurity in Zamfara State.
READ ALSO:Tinubu Signs Direct Flight, Other Agreements With Brazil
They expressed grave concern over the deteriorating security situation, citing recent statistics that placed Zamfara as the state with the highest number of kidnapping cases in the country.
The group also accused the Federal Government of politicising insecurity during the recent Kaura Namoda bye-election, alleging that security forces were deployed to secure the APC’s electoral victory rather than protect lives.
“The entire structure with all its supporters hereby formally resigns from the All Progressives Congress in protest against the sustained injustice, mistrust, marginalisation, and deliberate neglect of Zamfara State and its people. We shall, in due course, announce our next political direction, guided by the collective interest of the good people of Zamfara State,” the communiqué, issued on Friday, partly read.
READ ALSO:Tinubu Subsidises Kidney Dialysis Cost By 76% In Federal Hospitals
On political appointments, Marafa’s loyalists faulted what they termed the deliberate marginalisation of Zamfara, despite the state’s contribution to the APC’s 2023 presidential victory.
They noted that while other states in the North-West secured multiple ministerial slots, Zamfara got only one, and communities devastated by banditry attacks have received little or no federal intervention.
The statement, signed by Comrade Bashir Muhammad Mafara (Chairman) and Dr. Mannir Bature Tsafe (Secretary), added that the group will soon announce its next political direction in line with the aspirations of the Zamfara people.
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