The Presidency has faulted the claim of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, following his allegation that the the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and agents of President Bola Tinubu are planning to intimidate and compromise the judiciary.
Speaking through the Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications & Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, the Presidency stated that Atiku’s statement on alleged plans to intimidate judiciary is laughable and illogical.
According to the Presidency, it is obvious that having been thoroughly defeated by the APC and now President Bola Tinubu during the February 25 presidential poll, Atiku has not fully recovered from the shock of defeat, hence his current attempt to mischievously rake up another round of inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking.
The Presidency stated this in a statement made available to TheIdeal News on Saturday while reacting to the allegations by Atiku.
Alake added that it is regrettable to note that Atiku accused the current administration of the governing APC of plotting to undermine the judiciary without providing any shred of evidence.
The presidential spokesman also stated that apart from innuendos, insinuations and outright lies in his press statement, Atiku did not put forward any convincing argument to support his claims on how Tinubu-led administration and the APC sought to undercut, undermine and compromise the judiciary.
The statement reads in part, “If the former Vice President believes in democracy and the sanctity of the Judiciary, as claimed, he would not engage in making spurious and wild allegations aimed at disparaging and discrediting an important arm of government that should serve as the bulwark for our democracy.
“He shamelessly resorted to this cheap attempt to intimidate and blackmail the Judiciary even when he is party to a case before the Presidential Election Petition Court.
“Let it be said that when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, rule of law and independence of Judiciary in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar.
When President Tinubu was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of rule of law as the building block for good governance as Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, under a PDP central government, Alhaji Atiku was nowhere to be found.
“It is on record and to his eternal credit that President Tinubu, through the instrumentality of the law and Judiciary, successfully challenged many of the draconian and obnoxious decisions of the PDP-led Federal Government that trampled on the rights of the States as federating units.
“Lagos State under the leadership of the then Governor Tinubu won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the hydra-headed PDP administration at the centre.
“No leader with such a sterling and enviable credential as a champion of rule of law, independence of judiciary like President Tinubu will ever contemplate undermining the Judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku”.
Alake further stated that Tinubu won a free, fair and credible election, saying that the February 25, 2023 Presidential election that produced him was the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.
He added that Tinubu and the APC have no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favourable judgement.
On Atku’s petition before the Presidential Tribunal, Alake said, “ His lawyers and that of APC have presented very solid defence of the results of the election and we are sure the judiciary will impartially deliver its judgement on the basis of points of law and evidence before it, not based on presumptuous speculations and unfounded accusations.
“Atiku Abubakar should be honourable enough as a statesman to allow the Judiciary perform its sacred duty without harassment and this resort to self-help. Attempting to discredit an important institution of State for selfish political end is disingenuous, shameful and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria. This desperation must stop”.
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