PDP govs back Atiku’s appeal at s’court, pick holes in tribunal’s judgement

Governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have thrown their weight behind a bid by Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the party, to challenge the verdict of the presidential election petition tribunal.

Last Wednesday, the tribunal dismissed Atiku’s petition against President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory in the last election. It held that Atiku could not prove his case.

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers and a member of the PDP, congratulated Buhari hours after the tribunal upheld the president’s election.

In a statement on Sunday, Seriake Dickson, chairman of the PDP governors’ forum, said after studying the judgement they discovered “countless anomalies” in it.

“After painstakingly and prudently understudying line after line of the judgement, several holes were picked and countless anomalies identified by us,” he said.

“We would be doing a greater disservice and moral injustice to our party, our democracy and Nigerians in general if we turn blind eyes, swallow such bile and applaud that rape of justice.

“The judgement to say the least has further painted our judiciary with darker colours, only this time around with a never-before-seen blemished coat of tar.

“However, we are hopeful that the Supreme Court will rewrite that history by ensuring that such stains and tar are removed from our judicial archives.”

The governor said the apex court should note that its integrity is at stake.

“Without any iota of trepidation, it is most paramount for us to once more restate and reconfirm our undiluted loyalty, deserving support and maximum commitment to our great party and the Atiku-Obi Presidential ticket,” he added.

“This is our stand, now and in the future. Posterity would judge us harshly if we did otherwise.”