The All Progressives Congress, APC, has described Wednesday’s ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, favouring President Muhammadu Buhari as a bold step to rescue Nigeria from the satanic era of PDP.
The party reacting to its victory at the tribunal said it represented the collective desire of Nigerians for progressive growth and development of the country’s economy.
The PEPT had dismissed the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on the grounds that they failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them.
Justice Mohammed Garba, who led a five-man panel of justices, while delivering judgment therefore held that: “In the final result, and I have come to the conclusion which is inevitable and unavoidable, that the petitioners have not proved any of the grounds of the petition in paragraph 15 of the petition.
“This petition is accordingly and hereby dismissed in its entirety.”
APC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in Abuja on Wednesday, “Going forward, APC’s victory at the presidential polls and the election tribunal represents our collective desire as a people to remain focused on the progressive growth and development of our country’s economy, fight against corruption, and providing security.
“Consequently, we have taken a bold step by rescuing our nation from the satanic era of PDP, when our collective interests were being corruptly traded among a few pillagers.
“We note, unfortunately, the continuous efforts being made by the unpatriotic elements in PDP, having held our country down for nearly two decades, to truncate our movement towards greatness.
“We, however, remain resolute in this journey being ably led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“With today’s legal affirmation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s election victory, the APC congratulates the President; the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, all members of our great party and, indeed, all well-meaning Nigerians on this landmark judgment.
“The APC congratulates the Judiciary for refusing to succumb to the opposition party’s subterfuge. We note the painstaking efforts and thoroughness of the Justices of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in arriving at their decision.
“Today’s judgment, no doubt, would go down in the annals of our nation as the longest and detailed, spanning almost 10 hours.
“The PDP and Atiku’s petition was largely hinged on the educational qualification of President Muhammadu Buhari and tales of an Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, server and allegations of electronic transmission of election results.
“This was rightly dismissed by the Tribunal for lacking in merit.
“From the outset, our party was not perturbed over the PDP and Atiku’s petition, which will go down in Nigeria’s history as the most frivolous in the history of Election Petition.
“In fact our position has now been justified that the PDP and Atiku’s petition was a complete waste of time. In their puerile efforts, they insisted on taking the country on a circus and wild goose chase.”
