The Presidency responded on Monday to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar’s questions about the judiciary’s integrity, following recent court rulings that sacked some governors of opposition parties in some states, claiming that President Bola Tinubu is not undermining the judiciary and planning to impose a one-party state on Nigeria.
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, stated in a statement that Tinubu remained committed to judicial independence and Nigeria’s democratic traditions.
Onanuga refuted Atiku’s allegation that Tinubu meddled in legal proceedings, citing instances in which PDP candidates defeated All Progressives Congress candidates in Supreme and Appeal courts, thereby demonstrating Tinubu’s dedication to democracy and the rule of law. Onanuga accused Atiku and the PDP of seeking to destabilise Nigeria’s political landscape.
“Unlike Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubu’s record as a democrat par excellence and a strong advocate of the rule of law has been globally acknowledged.”
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Onanuga went on to explain that the allegations emerged as a result of the PDP’s “poor performance” in recent appellate court rulings over the election of some of its governors, adding that “President Tinubu is a democrat to the core.” We are confident that, as president, he has not interfered with the judiciary’s decision.”
“The PDP and former Vice President and his spokesman have become overtly desperate to hang their woes on President Tinubu and the judiciary.
“We had witnessed how, under his watch, the PDP governor in Osun defeated the APC at the Supreme Court. Similarly, the PDP Governor in Bauchi also won his case in the Appeal court, beating the APC.
“President Tinubu is also not planning to impose a one-party state as Atiku has serially alleged and his party and spokesman have now parroted.”
“His record of service as governor, which witnessed giant strides in various facets of the state, was responsible for the dominance of his political structure in Lagos and not by any undemocratic conduct, as Atiku Abubakar wants the public to believe.
“While Atiku and PDP are now crying wolf over the Appeal Court rulings on governorship polls in Plateau, Zamfara and Nasarawa States, we hasten to ask the former Vice President where he was in 2019 when the court ruled against All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State. The court then awarded all the positions won by the APC to PDP.
“We once again implore Atiku and PDP to stop their campaign of calumny and blackmail against the judiciary and the honourable judges and justices.
“Judgments are based on law and evidence. In election petition cases, they are based on the Electoral Act and the Constitution, not on sentiments and emotions.”
