Why Delay Releasing Record of Judgment?, PDP Asks Presidential Election Tribunal
- PDP Raises Alarm Over PEPT’s Delay To Release Record of Judgment
- Cautions Against Tampering Of Evidence
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over what it described as undue delay by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) to release the record of its judgment to enable the party and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, promptly file an appeal the judgment at the Supreme Court.
It could be recalled that the lead judge, Justice Mohammed Garba, who acknowledged some typographical errors in the judgment said the errors will be corrected before serving ech party a copy.
The party in a statement signed by, Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary alleged that the delay is a calculated attempt by some quarters to frustrate the party’s appeal at the Supreme Court, where Nigerians have expressed confidence to get justice as well as restore the integrity of our judiciary, which has been eroded by the Tribunal.
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“It is instructive to state that the Court of Appeal is aware that our party and candidate have mandatory 14 days to appeal to the Supreme Court, yet it is delaying in releasing a judgment that was read for nine hours and which it wants the public to believe it actually wrote.
“Our party fears that this development is lending credence to suspicion in the public space that the judgment is being tampered with and altered, in the name of correcting errors, knowing that there is no way the verdicts can stand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court.
“We also hope there is no link between the circumstances surrounding this delay and the boasts by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, speaking for the Buhari Presidency, as well as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, that justice will not be served to the PDP and our Presidential candidate at the Supreme Court.”
While noting that it has always alerted Nigerians of the relentless efforts by the APC to allegedly manipulate processes, the PDP expressed delight and Nigerians in general, have the full video and audio recording of the judgment and we will not hesitate to expose any underhand act by anybody.
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“The PDP therefore demands the immediate release of the record of judgment as delivered by the Tribunal without any form of alterations.”
