Atiku: APC Plotting to Manipulate Judiciary, Undermine Democracy

*Puts int’l community on alert, asks Nigerians to be vigilant

*Presidency: Tinubu, APC will not undermine judiciary over election cases 

*Your allegation is hollow, wild and mischievous, APC replies ex-VP

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, has raised the alarm over alleged plots by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to compromise Nigeria’s judiciary processes and undermine the country’s democracy.
But in a swift response, the Presidency declared that the APC and President Bola Tinubu will in no way undermine the judiciary in resolving the presidential election petitions before it.

On its part, the APC described Atiku’s allegation as hollow, wild, mischievous, and an attempt by the former vice president to float an alibi to deflect the shame of a highly probable defeat at the election petitions court.

Atiku, in a statement signed by his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, yesterday, stated that since the conclusion of the presidential election last February, there have been unfortunate developments that are saddening to many Nigerians.
The former vice president, who contested the February 25 presidential election in which President Bola Tinubu was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is currently challenging the victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.
According to him, it was needless to say that the election that brought the current government into office was the worst in the annals of democratic politics in Nigeria, even though it was promised to be the best ever.

 “Consequently, the outcome of that election and the arbitrariness of the electoral umpire to declare a winner against the requirement of the law has been the reason Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and presidential candidate of the PDP and other parties in the election have chosen the patriotic path to challenge the outcome of that election,” Atiku said.

”It is a truism that the judiciary is the only reasonable option in the quest for justice. As a matter of fact, our judiciary and the interpretations that they have given to our laws have been a major building block in our democratic journey so far.
“Our laws are very clear about the prerequisite of separation of powers as a guarantee of an independent judiciary,” he added.
The PDP presidential candidate noted the idea behind that concept of an independent judiciary is to insulate that branch of government from unholy fraternity between its hallowed members and the rest of the society – especially the political actors.
He further said: “But as proceedings on the controversial February 25 election continue at the court, there have been threats from the ruling party that aim to intimidate the judiciary from serving the duty of justice.

“It is regrettable that the APC and indeed, agents of President Bola Tinubu have ceaselessly chosen to stand in the way of justice by making catastrophic threats to anarchy, if justice is not served according to their whims.
“These and reports in the media about some heinous plots to harass justices sitting on the petition are ominous to peace and the security of our nation.
“Our democracy gives the people of Nigeria the powers to choose their leaders, and our laws demand that our judiciary must be allowed to act independently without harassment and intimidation by the government or powerful interests.
“To compromise the workings of our democracy and seeking to compromise the workings of our judiciary is an open call for anarchy.”

Atiku vowed that his party would do all that is within the law to resist any attempt to undermine the country’s fragile democracy.
“Indeed, we are using this channel to call on the international community to be alerted.
“Nigeria’s democracy should not be undermined by using the judiciary to serve the interest of the ruling party.  Sadly, this has become the stock in trade of the All Progressives Congress to intimidate the judiciary,” he said.
Atiku also recalled that in 2019, the APC-led federal government similarly removed the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, from office when it was obvious that he would not bend to their will.

 “The Department of State Services (DSS) similarly stormed the homes of judges in 2016 and 2017, all in a bid to beat the judiciary into submission.
“The plot of the APC is simple: Intimidate the judiciary, threaten judges with arrest so that they will bow to their will. This is a playbook from 2019 when they removed the CJN and then replaced him with Tanko Muhammad, who himself was later accused of corruption by his colleagues at the Supreme Court and resigned shamefully.

“However, the APC government never went after Tanko Muhammad as they did in Onnoghen’s case because it was never about corruption but election. The APC has, over the years, built a reputation of judiciary intimidation.
“They accused about 10 judges of corruption, stormed their homes, and got them suspended and yet could not convict any of them.
“Justice Sylvester Ngwuta of the Supreme Court could not recover from the embarrassment that he ended up dying in office.

“Now, they have initiated a new plot. This time around, they want to intimidate the judges into delivering favourable judgments for them at the election tribunal.
“We draw the attention of the international community and, indeed, Nigerians to this fresh plot to steal the mandate of over 200 million people,” he stated.
Atiku added: “We are also urging Nigerians to abide by the golden rule of eternal vigilance being the price of liberty.”
He appealed to all security agencies in the country to remain professional in the discharge of their duties and resist being used as an instrument of oppression and intimidation against the judiciary.

Presidency: Tinubu, APC, will Not Undermine Judiciary over Election Cases

In its response to Atiku’s allegation, the Presidency declared that the ruling APC and President Tinubu will in no way undermine the judiciary in resolving the presidential election petitions before it.
The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Mr. Dele Alake, in a statement issued last night and entitled: ‘Atiku Abubakar’s bid to blackmail the judiciary will fail’, said President Tinubu and the APC absolutely have no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favourable judgment.
According to him, Tinubu’s lawyers and that of APC have presented very solid defence of the result of the election “and we are sure the judiciary will impartially deliver its ruling on the basis of points of law and evidence before it, not based on presumptuous speculations and unfounded accusations.  
“Atiku Abubakar should be honourable enough as a statesman to allow the judiciary perform its sacred duty without harassment and this resort to self-help. Attempting to discredit an important institution of state for selfish political ends is disingenuous, shameful and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria. This desperation must stop.”

The Presidency said: “It is obvious that having been thoroughly defeated by the APC and now President Tinubu, the former vice president has not fully recovered from the shock of defeat, hence the current attempt to mischievously rake up another round of inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking.  
The Presidency argued that: “If the former vice president believes in democracy and the sanctity of the Judiciary, as claimed, he would not engage in making spurious and wild allegations aimed at disparaging and discrediting an important arm of government that should serve as the bulwark for our democracy.  
The Presidency further argued that “when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, rule of law and independence of Judiciary in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar.
It noted that when Tinubu was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of rule of law as Governor of Lagos State, Atiku was nowhere to be found.  

“It is on record and to his eternal credit that President Tinubu, through the instrumentality of the law and judiciary, successfully challenged many of the draconian and obnoxious decisions of the PDP-led federal government that trampled on the rights of the States as federating units. Lagos State under the leadership of the then Governor Tinubu won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the hydra-headed PDP administration at the centre,” the statement added.  

Your Allegation is Wild, Hollow and Mischievous, APC Replies Atiku

Meanwhile, the APC has described Atiku’s allegations as arrant nonsense, and an attempt by the former vice president to float an alibi to deflect the shame of a highly probable defeat at the election petitions court.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement, said that Atiku and his minions offered no evidence to support their wild, hollow, and mischievous allegations.

He added: “Quite frankly, there is nothing in Atiku Abubakar’s statement that is worth a reaction from the APC. It is just arrant nonsense, totally lacking in substance and cogency.

Morka described the allegations “as a childish attempt to float an alibi to deflect the shame of a highly probable defeat in court, having miserably failed to make out a credible case to justify his bogus claim that he won the last presidential election,” he added.

Morka stressed that President Bola Tinubu and the APC won the election convincingly, adding that the ruling party has faith and confidence in the courts to dispense electoral justice in accordance with the Constitution and all applicable laws.