From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
A cross section of stakeholders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Party (PDP) in Katsina have described the recent ruling of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in favour of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Addressing a press conference in Katsina on Monday, spokesperson of the group, Senator Umar Tsauri, who was Chairman of the party’s governorship campaign council said that the PEPC as well as the Katsina State election petitions tribunals “concluded their assignments and passed very unfortunate judgments that did not reflect the justice the Nigerians expected.”
He alleged that the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) deceived Nigerians over the use of its BVAC during the polls.
According to him, “we actually believe that judgments have been passed but without justice because it has been denied.
“We stand to say that the judgment passed by the PEPC has been for away from justice.
“In fact, we would say that what INEC did during the elections is exactly what the PEPC did to Nigeria, Nigerians and the democratic process.
If you may recall, the Chairman of INEC Prof. Yakubu, 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.
“Unfortunately, the reverse was the case because all he told Nigerians turned out to be deceit.
“He deceived Nigerians by doing the opposite of his utterances.
“That is exactly what our learned Justices of the Court of Appeal did when delivering the judgment without justice.
“Our lawyers wasted much of their professional and judicial time bringing documents and witnesses to prove their cases. Unfortunately, they ended up passing judgment not even on technicalities but on collective personal interest.
“Coming to the tribunal in Katsina State, the same patterns and plans have been in place.
“Every right thinking person in Katsina State knows how the elections of 25th February, 2023 were conducted.
“There were uncountable number of electoral malpractices. “Material inducement, vote buying, victimization, intimidation of civil servants and many more were done to scare and made the people vote for the ruling party.
“In most of the polling units, traditional rulers were directed to deliver or face the full wrath of their superiors.
“In some polling units, election could not hold due to insecurity in the units.
“There was agreement that elections in the affected polling units should not hold because of the high risk involved.
“After the election in the safe areas and polling units, our candidates won and even sworn in.
“To our surprise, the tribunal ruled that elections should be conducted in those polling units.” “Two of our members were given red card by the tribunal based on technicality.
“The Appeal Court, in its ruling on President Tinubu’s credentials, ruled that credentials are secondary and is a pre-election judicial matter but with Katsina tribunal it is not the case because two of our Honourable members were denied justice because of their primary school certificates.
“Two of our Senators who approached the tribunal with convincing proofs and evidences were shown the way out by the tribunal because of pure judicial injustice.
“We call on all the PDP supporters in Nigeria and Katsina State to disregard the judgments without justice delivered by the PEPC and Katsina State election tribunal.
“We the stakeholders, as law abiding citizens have been compelled to agree with the judgment, but certainly not to accept it.
“The PDP is studying the judgments passed by the tribunal against our Senatorial candidates, and all other options as outlined by law will be exhausted.
“As for the House of Representatives, we are categorical to tell all our teaming supporters that the judgments will be appealed.”
Photo: Senator Umar Tsauri