Sophia Michaels
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal filed by Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), because it lacks merit.
Tinubu, who was the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election, said this in a response filed by his lawyers on Saturday to Atiku’s notice of appeal.
Recall that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, in its judgment on September 6, dismissed the petition filed by Atiku challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
According to the tribunal, the former Vice President failed to prove all the averments in his petition, stressing that his petitions lacked merit and was dismissed.
However, Atiku filed 35 grounds notice of appeal before the Supreme Court on September 18 and asked the apex court to set aside the entire findings and conclusions of the tribunal.
In the appeal, the PDP candidate submitted that the tribunal’s findings were done with “grave errors and gross misrepresentation”, which resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
In response to the appeal filed by Atiku, President Tinubu stated that the presidential election petition tribunal was correct in arriving at its verdict and affirming his election.
The president insisted that the appellants failed to prove all their allegations and submissions at the tribunal, adding that they have demonstrated any reason why the apex court should disturb any of the findings of the lower court.
Tinubu, however, described the appeal filed by the PDP candidate as “abusive in nature” and prayed for its dismissal.
He said: “Neither the appellants have demonstrated any reason why this honourable court should disturb any of the findings of the lower court, which, with all modesty, are rooted in law and a perfect demonstration of scholarship.
“We accordingly urge this honourable court to affirm the decision of the lower court, while dismissing this appeal in its entirety, as same is lacking in merit and bona fide.
“Everything put together or summarized, this appeal is a further demonstration of the abusive nature to which the appellants have subjected court processes. The supreme court is urged to dismiss it.”
