Presidential tribunal: CUPP rejects judgement, says law turned upside down

By Lateef Ibrahim

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), a major opposition coalition in the country, has rejected yesterday’s judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the election of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The CUPP, in rejecting the judgement, described it as a law turned upside down and an insult and provocation to Nigerians.
The opposition coalition said this in a statement yesterday by its Spokesperson, Ikenga IMO Ugochinyere in Abuja.
The CUPP stated that from the totality of the judgment, the Court of Appeal PEPT panel has lost the rare opportunity presented to it by the petition of the consensus opposition candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to put an end to electoral fraud, leadership incompetence and the imposition of an unfit leader on the people.
The statement reads, “The opposition coalition CUPP, has received with angst the judgment of the Presidential Election Tribunal just delivered this afternoon (yesterday’s) upholding President Buhari’s election and we reject it totally since we view it as law turned upside down and an insult and provocation to Nigerians.
“From the totality of the judgment, the Court of Appeal PEPT panel has lost the rare opportunity presented to it by the petition of the consensus opposition CANDIDATE Atiku Abubakar to put an end to electoral fraud, leadership incompetence and the imposition of an unfit leader on the people.
“By their judgment today, majority of Nigerians who had believed, though erroneously, that the judiciary was indeed independent have been brazenly awakened to the fact and correct belief that the Presidency had successfully hijacked the judiciary and Nigerians can only expect judgments and not justice.
“All credible observer groups both local and international were unanimous in their verdict that the election was below the standard of the 2015 and was massively rigged in favour of the President, the Court of Appeal wasted the opportunity and have by so doing endorsed the insecurity in the land, mismanagement of national resources, electoral fraud, forgery of documents and certificates submitted to INEC and indeed threatened the very foundations of our democracy.
“Could the Court as it had done in times past not this time also considered the state of the nation, mood of Nigerians, national security issues and taken a decision boldly, impartially and firmly in the interest of Nigerians and Nigeria?
“Today’s judgment is a manipulation of the law and the brazen use of technicality to stamp injustice, Rob the people of justice and deny the nation the chance to have a leader that they truly elected in the Person of Atiku Abubakar.