Presidential Election Tribunal: Jonathan Warned Tinubu Against Influencing Judges? Fact Emerges
- The Facebook video claiming former President Goodluck Jonathan warned President Bola Tinubu against influencing tribunal judges is untrue
- Facebook blogger Tessy Update posted the video with the narration that President Tinubu had been warned
- A fact-checking platform, Dubawa, reported that the video was manipulated and Jonathan never mentioned President Tinubu's name
The claim that former President Goodluck Jonathan warned President Bola Tinubu about interfering with the outcome of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has been found to be untrue and misleading.
A Facebook blogger, Tessy Update, had posted a 4-minute 45-second video with the message that Jonathan warned President Tinubu not to use his power to influence the tribunal’s verdict.
Source: Facebook
Tessy Update posted:
“BREAKING!! Former president Goodluck Jonathan don scatter everywhere as he w@rns Tinubu against using his position as President to influence election tribunal judges says the young are watching.”
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
Jonathan did not warn Tinubu against influencing tribunal
According to Dubawa, the video was manipulated as there was nowhere that Jonathan mentioned Tinubu’s name. Instead, Jonathan urged “fellow politicians and security service workers” against using their position to restrict the judiciary from their independence.
The fact-checking organisation discovered that the blogger used a clip from BM Motions, a cinematography company’s TikTok account and layered Jonathan’s image from a past speech.
Tessy Update also deployed a masculine voiceover to paint the narrative she was driving before showcasing the speech she alleged.
It was also discovered that the blogger quoted a speech from the Sun newspaper titled “Don’t use political powers to squeeze judiciary, society – Jonathan” but did not name a specific place or time where Jonathan gave the speech.
Further research showed that Jonathan made the statement while speaking during a book presentation held in honour of Kate Abiri (now late), the former Chief Judge of Bayelsa State in Yenagoa, on her retirement on January 13, 2023.
The former president cautioned politicians against judicial manipulation, which preceded the general election.
Tribunal finally picks date to deliver judgment
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), against the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are nearing their conclusion.
According to a communiqué, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja will deliver judgment on petitions challenging the election of Tinubu on Wednesday, September 6.
Presidential tribunal: Full list of judges
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja commenced pre-hearing on Monday, May 8, for the petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25th presidential election. The legal battle could change the course of the election dispute.
The court pre-hearing resumed with an opening remark by the Presiding Justice, Haruna Tsammani, who leads a five-man panel of Justices.
Outcomes of presidential election petitions since 1999
Petitions have been filed after every presidential election since the return of democracy in Nigeria, except in 2015 when the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan lost and didn’t contest the election outcome.
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) announced Wednesday, September 6, as the judgment date for petitions challenging the victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Legit.ng
