Atiku: All Hope Not Lost, Expresses Optimism to Recover His Mandate

•Says presidential poll was breach of electoral act, INEC guidelines 

•Withdraws motion against electoral body over election materials

Chuks Okocha and Alex Enumah in Abuja

As Nigerians go to the polls to elect their governors on Saturday, former vice president and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has called on his supporters not to despair, saying all hope was not lost.

In a message to his supporters, also urged them to vote for all PDP candidates in this weekend’s polls.

Also yesterday, Atiku withdrew the application he had filed seeking to compel INEC allow their agents participate in the process of sorting out materials (ballot papers) used in the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.

However, the former vice president expressed confidence that he would recover his mandate that was stolen.

The former vice president insisted that INEC conduct of the Presidential election was against the electoral laws and the guidelines issued by INEC.

Atiku added: “Indeed, what INEC did in announcing the manipulated result was a clear breach of not only the 2022 Electoral Act, but also its own guidelines which the electoral commission had repeatedly claimed would uphold the standards we had seen in the Osun and Ekiti elections.”

According to Atiku in a statement he signed, “As attested to by both local and international observers, the result of the February 25 presidential election as announced by INEC was grossly tainted and did not reflect the will of the electorates.

“You all have demonstrated against this blatant injustice through different mediums. And for that, I thank you again for your non-violent conduct despite the provocations.

 “The INEC Chairnan further ignored calls for a review of the process in line with the amended law”

Notwithstanding, the former vice president said, “My fellow citizens, all hope is not lost. You must never give in to apathy. I assure you that the electoral fraud perpetrated by INEC will be reversed in due course as I champion the cause to reclaim our mandate.”

 According to him. “We, as citizens, must continue to show resilience in the defence of our democracy and in the exercise of our rights to vote.

“As the March 18 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections beckon, I urge you as patriotic citizens of our dear country to come out in your numbers to cast your votes.

“That is one of the ways you can use to demonstrate against the sham of an election of February 25.

“As you cast your votes peacefully this Saturday and in observance of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, be sure to do so for the candidates of the PDP, the only truly national party, for a greater and prosperous Nigeria,” he stated.

 Atiku commended his supporters immensely for their high sense of patriotism in bracing the myriads of odds to, “perform your civic duty during the February 25 presidential election.”

He added: “I truly appreciate your resilience, tenacity, and courage. It is indeed heart-warming that you have faith in rescuing and rebuilding our great country, as envisioned by our great party, the PDP.”

Atiku Withdraws Motion against INEC over Election Materials

Meanwhile, Atiku has withdrawn his application seeking to compel INEC allow his party’s agents participate in the process of sorting out materials (ballot papers) used in the conduct of the February 25 presidential election.

Atiku and the PDP in a Notice of Discontinuance told the Presidential Election Petition Court, (PEPC), sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, that they were no longer interested in the application.

Lead counsel to Atiku and PDP, Mr. Joe Gadzama, stated this yesterday, when the motion ex-parte, marked: CA/PEC/10M/2023, was called up for hearing.

Besides the motion to compel INEC allow their agents participate in the sorting out of election materials, Atiku and PDP had also filed a motion ex parte praying for an order to serve court documents on the All Progressives Congress (APC) and winner of the presidential election, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by substituted means, namely by serving the papers on their staff or posting same on their premises.

The PEPC had on March 3, permitted the Atiku and the PDP as well as his counterpart from the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, to inspect election materials used in the February 25 presidential election.

However, owing to alleged administrative bottlenecks encountered at the INEC office in carrying out the order of inspection of the election materials, Atiku and PDP had filed a fresh application at the PEPC.

But before the application dated March 13 could be slated for hearing, it was learnt that INEC, invited the legal team of the applicants for a meeting.

“It was at that meeting which held yesterday (Tuesday) that all the grey areas were sorted out, with INEC, pledging to allow our agents to observe the process of sorting out some of the electoral materials we requested for, especially the ballot papers.

“Since that was primarily our prayer in the fresh application we filed, we felt that it would not be necessary to proceed with the hearing. So, to save judicial time, we filed a notice of discontinuance which was accordingly granted”, a member of Atiku’s legal team, who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said.

Subsequently, Justice Joseph Ikyegh who led a three-member panel struck it out the applications.

The motion predicated on 11 grounds, claimed that it was necessary for agents of the applicants to be present during the sorting out of the electoral materials needed for the preparation of their intended petition against the outcome of the presidential election at the PEPC.

It was further argued that there was need for applicants’ agents to observe/participate in the sorting of materials requested for in all the offices of INEC nationwide, in line with the ex-parte order the court made on March 3.

Delivering ruling in the exparte, Justice Ikyegh had on March 3, granted permission to Atiku and Obi to inspect “All the electoral materials used in the conduct of the election for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria held on February 25, 2023”.