Stakeholders of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Katsina State have rejected the both verdicts for presidential and National election tribunal while describing it as rape of democracy.
Senator Ibrahim Tsauri in a press conference, spoke on behalf of the stakeholders said the judgments did not reflect the justice the Nigerians expected hence the outright rejection.
“We actually believe that judgments have been passed, but without justice because it has been denied.
“We stand to say, the judgment passed by the PEPC has been far away from justice. Infact we would say that what INEC did during the elections is exactly what the PEPC did to Nigeria, Nigerians and the democratic process.
“If you may recall, the Chairman of INEC Prof. Yakubu, told Nigerians that the commission would use the BVAS machines to make the elections accurate, free, fair and credible. We in the opposition believed him and became so relaxed with full confidence and optimism that a man of integrity, infact a Professor for that matter, who built integrity and respect to protect. Unfortunately, reverse was the case because, all he told Nigerians turned out to be a deceit. He deceived Nigerians by doing the opposite of his utterances.
“That is exactly what our learned justices of the court of appeal did when delivering the judgment without justice”, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri said.
According to Tsauri, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Tsammani, during his inaugural speech told Nigerians that his tribunal would be different from the previous tribunals because they will not base their judgments on technicalities but on facts while they believed him
“Our Lawyers wasted much of their professional and judicial times bringing documents and witnesses to prove their cases. Unfortunately, the learned justice successfully wasted 12 and half hours reading judicial English without judicial facts and justice. They ended up passing judgment not even on technicalities but on collective personal interest.
“Members of the press, we call that judgment a rape of democracy because unpracticable precedence has been set which can and will never be sustained.
“Coming to the tribunal in Katsina State, the same patterns and plans have been in place.
“Every right thinking person in Katsina State knew how the election of 25th February, 2023 were conducted.
“There were uncountable number of electoral malpractices. The FG then brought the cash squeeze to the opposition parties, and gave the cash to the ruling party. Material inducements, vote buying, victimization, intimidation of Civil Servants and many more were done to scare and made people vote for the ruling party”, he noted.
The stakeholders also accused government for threatening traditional rulers in the State to rig election or be shown way out of their stools.
“In most of the polling units traditional rulers were directed to deliver or face the full wrath of their superiors.
“In some polling units election could not hold due to insecurity in the units. There was tentative agreement between the political parties (IPAC), INEC and even the candidates, that security should be first. There was agreement that elections in the affected polling units could not be possible because of the high risk involved.
“After the elections in the safe areas and polling units, our candidates won and even sworn in. To our surprise the tribunal ruled that elections should be conducted in those polling units. What a misplacement of justice!
“Two of our members were given red card by the tribunal based on technicality. The Appeal Court, in its ruling on President Tinubu’s credentials, rules that credentials are secondary and is a pre-election judicial matter, but with Katsina tribunal it is not the case because 2 of our Honourable members were denied justice because of their primary school certificates, what a pity!
“Two of our Senators who approached the tribunal with convincing proofs and evidences were shown the way out by the tribunal because of pure judicial injustice.
“What the learned judges gave as reasons were never legal but personal without referring to any quoted legal interpretation.
“We call on all the PDP supporters in Nigeria and Katsina State to disregard the judgments without justice delivered by the PEPC and Katsina State election tribunal.
“We the stakeholders, as law abiding citizens have been compelled to agree with the judgment, but certainly not to accept it.
We therefore, come out to say we completely reject the injustice meted in the name of tribunal judgment.
The PDP is studying the judgement passed by the tribunal against our senatorial candidates, and all other options as outlined by law will be exhausted, in sha Allah.
As for the House of Representatives, we are categorical to tell all our teaming supporters that the judgments will be appealed
“Gentlemen, we conclude that, the way democracy is being operated in Nigeria, if at all we call it democracy, we are afraid to say that there is no need for elections.
“Election in Nigeria is election by the Government in power, the INEC, the Security agencies and the judiciary”, Senator Ibrahim Tsauri opined.