Tribunal: PDP Won 21 States at Presidential Polls? Details Emerge in Atiku’s Address to INEC
- Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has issued his final address at the presidential election petition tribunal
- In his final address, Atiku insisted that he won 21 States of the federation at the 2023 presidential elections on Saturday, February 25
- Atiku also faulted the decision of the electoral body to declare Bola Tinubu the winner of the election despite not meeting the requirements
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FCT, Abuja - Atiku Abubakar, the presidential bannerman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has urged the presidential tribunal in Abuja to uphold the declaration of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that he (Atiku) won 21 States in the February 25 presidential election.
The former Vice President made this appeal on Friday, July 21, in his final address for the joint petition with the PDP seeking the nullification of INEC's declaration of President Bola Tinubu as the victor of the 2023 presidential election held on Saturday, February 25.
Source: Facebook
Atiku, through his lead counsel, Chris Uche SAN, said that INEC'S assertion that he won in 21 States was neither disputed, retracted, debunked, nor claimed to be an error through the proceedings of the Tribunal so far.
INEC had, in response to Atiku's petition, asserted that the PDP presidential candidate won 21 States of the Federation in the last presidential poll.
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States Atiku claimed to have won
The 21 States listed by INEC as having been won by Atiku and PDP are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara, The Nigerian Tribune reported.
The former Vice President said that since the Electoral Commission, who, on its averments, claimed that he won States and did rebut the assertion throughout the proceedings, the Tribunal should proceed to uphold the declaration.
Atiku's written address reads partly:
"Very importantly, the 1st Respondent (INEC) who conducted the election made an open admission in paragraph 18 of its Reply to the Petition, where it unequivocally stated thus:
"The 1st Respondent further avers that in compliance with extant laws and regulations, it diligently discharged its duties when it collated the 1st Petitioner's (Atiku) scores at the election, which aggregates to 6,984,520 winning only 21 States to wit: Adamawa, Akwa Ibom. Bauchi. Bavelsa. Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina. Kebbi. Kogi. Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara."
"Indeed, as admitted by the 1st Respondent (INEC), the 1st Petitioner (Atiku) won in these 21 States. It is important to note that throughout the trial, the 1st Respondent (INEC) neither refuted nor countermanded this critical averment nor denied it."
Atiku critiques INEC declaration of Tinubu as winner of 2023 polls
Meanwhile, Atiku, through his lawyer, urged the panel "to hold that this constitutes an admission that requires no further proof. It also constitutes an admission against interest."
Atiku's final address also pointed out claims that President Tinubu did not meet the requirements that would declare him the winner noting that INEC violated the stipulations of the constitution and announced him as the victor of the 2023 presidential polls.
He also faulted the glitches and inability of the election technology used during the polls as a red flag that President Tinubu did not win the election as claimed by INEC.
According to New Telegraph, the address reads:
"This deliberate bypass of the use of the prescribed verification technology was nationwide, and substantially affected the outcome of the election.
"The said 1st Respondent (INEC) equally proceeded to declare the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) winner when the 2nd Respondent ( Tinubu) did not meet the mandatory constitutional requirement to secure not less than a quarter of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
"This was in addition to the numerous infractions and corrupt practices perpetrated by the Respondents."
Atiku, therefore, pleaded with the Tribunal to uphold the assertion of INEC in the process and declare him the winner of the February 25 Presidential Election.
Why Former Vice President Atiku Is Angry with G5 Governors, Ortom Reveals
In another development, former Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State said PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is angry with G5 governors because they rejected him.
Ortom added that his boldness to rebuke Atiku over his unstatesmanlike comments regarding the killing of Benue people by Fulani herders.
He said Atiku's allegation against him manifests frustration for losing the 2023 election.
Source: Legit.ng
