LP: Election Court, APC Must Come Clean over Governing Party’s Imprint on CTC Judgement

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Labour Party (LP), yesterday, called on the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to tell the truth about the APC watermark found on the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the tribunal’s judgement.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had also urged APC and PEPC to explain whether the governing party had rendered any clerical help to the tribunal.
In a statement, National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiora Ifoh, observed that the tribunal judgement sent out to petitioners had the watermark of the Tinubu presidential legal team.

Ifoh stated, “Consequent upon the revelation that Certified True Copies (CTC) of the recent judgement by the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) had an imprint: ‘Tinubu Presidential Legal Team’ (TPLT) as its header, Nigerians are curious about such happenstance that has inevitably generated storm and controversy.

“The Labour Party was very disturbed by the delay in releasing the judgement expeditiously, only to be confronted with this befuddlement. The public is equally at pains trying to comprehend what is happening. The onus of explaining and dousing the unfolding controversy rests on the PEPC and the TPLT, the imprint owners.

“Clearly, the header is not a watermark. We note that only some of the petitioners received the same version. In a highly contentious case with dire national interest and implications, confirming that the PEPC did not confer any advantage, rights, or privileges to any party is imperative.

“This development must be cleared up quickly to avoid conjectures and the belief that something untoward happened. This cannot be the case of another glitch. The unsigned and undated statement issued purportedly by a senior counsel on behalf of the Tinubu Legal Team is misconceived and empty. The senior counsel claimed that the header is a watermark!
“It is not and can never be. Typically, a watermark is a faint imprint or design made on some papers during production and which can be seen when held up to the light. It helps in checking the genuineness of the paper. The senior counsel is responsible for substantiating his claims and should not pass the buck to innocent parties.

“We of the Labour Party place it on record that the counsel who collected the judgement on behalf of our party and our candidate did so long after a representative of Tinubu Legal Team.”
LP called “on the PEPC and APC to come clean on the CTC imprint and disclose whose imprimatur is inscribed on the entire judgement. Nigerians deserve the right to know and are demanding urgent answers.”
Atiku had asked PEPC and APC to clarify whether the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team offered any clerical help to the tribunal.