PDP – Election tribunal judgement a misplacement of justice

The Katsina State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed disappointment with the recent verdicts handed down by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and the Katsina State National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

Senator Umar Ibrahim Sauri, the former Chairman of the 2023 Katsina PDP Campaign Council, led the party’s strong condemnation of what they deemed a “misplacement of justice.”

Senator Sauri called upon the PDP supporters in Katsina State and across Nigeria to dismiss the judgments delivered by the tribunals, asserting that they were far removed from the principles of justice.

He drew a parallel between the tribunal’s decisions and the actions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing the electoral body of deceiving Nigerians.

The Senator voiced particular concern regarding the tribunal’s rulings on the qualifications of Katsina PDP members, which hinged on primary school certificates.

In a stark contrast, he referenced a recent ruling on President Tinubu’s credentials and vowed that they would explore all available legal avenues to challenge what they perceived as unjust decisions.

The National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Katsina, headed by Hon. Justice O. Ogunfowora, recently invalidated the victories of two House of Representatives members: Aminu Ahmadu Chindo of the PDP, representing Katsina Central Federal Constituency, and Ismail Dalha, representing Kankia/Kusada/Ingawa federal constituency.

The basis for their disqualification was the alleged presentation of forged school certificates.

Moreover, Senator Sauri claimed that the justices of the court of appeal, including Justice Tsammani, had promised to base their rulings on factual evidence rather than technicalities.

However, he asserted that “these assurances remained unfulfilled, with judgments seemingly swaying towards personal interests.”

The Senator vehemently referred to this as a “rape of democracy” and warned of the potential unsustainability of such precedents.

Expressing apprehension about the state of democracy in Nigeria, Senator Sauri alleged that the current electoral process appeared to be heavily influenced by the government in power, INEC, security agencies, and the judiciary.

In a plea for divine intervention, he concluded by saying, “May Allah deliver Nigeria, Nigerians, and democracy.”