PEPC: PANDEF Didn’t Ask Atiku, Obi’s Lawyers to Apologise, Says Spokesperson

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has said it did not ask lawyers of the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and that of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, to apologise to their clients over their defeat at the Presidential Election Petition Court last week.

PANDEF made the clarification in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ken Robinson, in Abuja, yesterday.

The group was reacting to stories in some newspapers, not THISDAY, that it had asked Atiku and Obi’s lawyers to apologise to them for allegedly disappointing their clients at the PEPC.

Part of the statement read: “For clarity and to correct the misrepresentation, I obliged a brief telephone interview with a newspaper correspondent (names witheld) on Thursday, 7th September 2023.

“He  asked about PANDEF’s reaction to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal judgment on the petitions by the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidates, Peter Obi and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

“The correspondent was told that PANDEF’s interest is the unity, peace, and development of the country and the nation’s democracy,  thus, urged those dissatisfied with the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to explore the avenue of appeal.

“Unfortunately, a personal fringe observation was taken out of context and misquoted in the news article. It is important to restate that the referenced news report did not reflect the stance of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, on the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and therefore, should be ignored.”