The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has inaugurated the legal team to challenge the result of the February 23 Presidential election in court on his behalf.
The legal team is led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu SAN.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had on Wednesday 27, declared President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress, APC, winner of the election while Atiku came second.
However, the PDP rejected the result citing various irregularities and malpractices including using the military to intimidate and suppress voters in the party’s strongholds.
A statement by Atiku’s Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, on Saturday, dispelled the misgivings in some quarters that the PDP Presidential candidate may have been dissuaded from challenging the result by members of the National Peace Accord who paid him a visit on Thursday.
The statement quoted Atiku as saying: “I have just inaugurated my legal team and charged them with the responsibility of ensuring that our stolen mandate is retrieved.
“I am encouraged by the presence of fearless men and women of the Bench. The judiciary which had in the past discharged itself ably is once again being called to deliver judgment on this matter that will be untainted by the lucre and uncowed by the threat of immoral power.”
Meanwhile the PDP Presidential candidate has assured his teeming supporters and members of the party that he would not mortgage his mandate under any circumstance.
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He comment follows the arrest of his son-in-law and Finance Director of his group of companies Babalele Abdullahi on Saturday, March 2.
A separate statement issued by Mr Paul Ibe, on behalf of Atiku said: “In a desperate move to have Atiku Abubakar concede and congratulate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, officials of the Economic and Commercial Crimes Commission, EFCC, at about 8.30 am today (Saturday), invaded the Maitama residence of Babalele. They were however not given access into the house until his lawyer arrived.”
The agents who numbered about two dozen were said to have arrived in two regular vehicles and an 18-seater Toyota bus (registration Abuja CS 522 RSH) and a Hilux van.
According to the statement after the EFCC officials searched the home and offices of Babalele without finding anything incriminating, he was taken away to the EFCC office in Wuse to make a statement alongside Mr. Lawan Ayuba.
The statement further alleged that the petition on which the EFCC relied upon to invade the residence of Babalele was written by the brother to the wife of the President.
“As a law abiding citizen, Atiku Abubakar recognises the constitutional role of the EFCC and indeed any other agency of the government to carry out investigations, but will not be cowed by any attempt to blackmail him into mortgaging his mandate,” the statement said.
