The Special Assistant on Public Communication to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu has claimed that there is palpable fear in the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the likelihood of the court upturning Tinubu’s election.
The Presidential Tribunal is expected to rule in a few days following the petitions filed against the victory of President Bola Tinubu during the February, 25th, 2023 election.
Speaking in an interview with ThisDay, Shaibu said, “Now that pleadings have been concluded in the petition challenging the February 25 presidential election, it is easy to decipher that the declaration of the APC as the winner of the election is standing on shaky grounds.”
He further stated that there is a high possibility that the court would upturn the declaration of Tinubu as winner, and strengthen electoral processes in Nigeria.
Shaibu added, “The uneasy calm in the camp of the APC is in apprehension about submissions and admission of some fundamental facts during the adoption of final written addresses in the two major petitions challenging the declaration of Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the winner of the last presidential election.
At the adoption of final addresses, Tinubu’s camp conceded to two major facts that have made his key supporters across the country jittery about what may befall them in the final decision of the tribunal.
Among other admitted and undisputed fundamental facts at the proceedings were that Tinubu actually forfeited a sum of $460,000 through the judgment of the United States of America’s court for his established involvement in narcotics and money laundering related offences.”
He noted that the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to challenge the claim that Atiku won in 21 states of the federation, is another fact that he won the election
Atiku’s aide stated, “Besides the two major facts, the qualifications of Tinubu for the poll may also take centre stage in the scrutiny of the tribunal following the admission of the President in his INEC form EC009 wherein he admitted having not attended any primary or Secondary School in Nigeria.
“This is in contrast to his claim to the same electoral body in 1998 where in his own handwriting, admitted graduating at a Primary School at Aroyaya in Lagos and Government College Ibadan, Oyo State.
Tinubu’s legal team at the adoption of the final address led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN conceded that the President was actually punished by an American court and was made to forfeit the $460,000 found in his bank account as proceeds of the heinous crime of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
Similar admission was made through the APC represented by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
The two legal teams, however, asked the tribunal to invoke the forgiving spirit of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to overlook the judgment of the US court on the forfeiture on the ground that the verdict was handed to Tinubu more than 30 years ago.
It is ridiculous that the holder of the President of Nigeria will stand before an open court and be pleading for clemency for a crime on narcotics and money laundering.
The admission by INEC that Atiku won in 21 states of the federation which, up till now, has not been controverted by INEC itself, is another factor giving the APC sleepless nights.
At the last opportunity to rebut the claims and denounce it, the electoral body completely slept off, fuelling the belief that the electoral umpire knows what it is doing in its entirety.”
