Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared his intention to challenge the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, which affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, at the Supreme Court. At a press conference held at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters in Abuja, Atiku expressed his commitment to upholding a credible democratic process.
He emphasized the importance of a fair and transparent electoral system, stating that election outcomes should genuinely reflect the will of the voters. Atiku, who came in second in the election, expressed his dissatisfaction with the tribunal’s verdict, claiming it lacked substantial justice.
“While the judgment of yesterday is respected, it is a judgment I refused to accept. I refused to accept the judgment because I believe it is bereft of substantial justice,” Atiku asserted.
However, he maintained his confidence in the judiciary and announced his decision to exercise his constitutionally guaranteed right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal had dismissed the case brought by Atiku and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, and upheld President Tinubu’s victory in the election. Both Atiku and Obi rejected the tribunal’s judgment and expressed their intention to challenge it at the Supreme Court.
The tribunal’s ruling, delivered by Justice Haruna Tsammani, along with other panel members, upheld the declaration of President Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 1, 2023.