Atiku reacts to Supreme Court verdict on PDP suit to disqualify Tinubu, Shettima

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar said the Supreme Court’s dismissal of his party’s suit against the All Progressive Congress (APC) will not discourage him from seeking justice.

On Friday, the Supreme Court threw out a suit seeking disqualification of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima as presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A five-member panel of the Supreme Court held that the (PDP lacked the locus standi to institute the suit.

The PDP had claimed that Shettima’s nomination as Tinubu’s running mate was in breach of the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The party argued that Shettima’s nomination to contest the position of vice-president and Borno central senatorial seat at the same time contravened the law.

But the Supreme Court said the PDP is not a member of the APC and should not interfere in matters outside its domain.

Reacting to the judgement by the court, Atiku said the legal team of the PDP will not relent in its effort to prove that the presidential election on February 25 was a fraud.

“The Supreme Court’s dismissal of the case of the PDP is not a setback to my quest for justice,” Atiku tweeted.

“Our legal team are primed to robustly prove that the election of February 25 was fraudulent, did not comply with the constitutional requirements and the electoral guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and that the announced winner was not even qualified to contest the poll.

“The battle for democracy and the enthronement of a new order to spur growth and development in Nigeria is one to which I have committed my all and for which I am not ready to walk away at this point when our nation is at crossroads.

“We know that sooner than later, our esteemed Justices will make the pronouncement that will serve as a befitting requiem for mandate bandits.”

The former Vice President urged his supporters to exercise patience and conduct themselves peaceably as the party conduct its litigation at the Presidential Election Tribunal Tribunal.