Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, at the weekend inaugurated his legal team to challenge the result of the 23rd February presidential election.
The team is headed by Dr Liv Uzoukwu, SAN.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had on Wednesday, 27 February declared Muhammadu Buhari as winner of the election.
However Atiku Abubakar on Thursday, 28 February rejected the result citing several malpractices including the use of the military to perfect voters’ intimidation and suppression in PDP strongholds, connivance of INEC officials, security agents and the ruling party to manufacture bogus figures and outright falsification of the returns from the polling units.
Consequently he had given notice that he will use all available legitimate means to challenge the result of the election.
On Thursday night the PDP presidential candidate met with members of the National Peace Committee prompting concerns in some quarters that he may have been prevailed upon not to proceed with the challenge.
“I have just inaugurated my legal team and charged them with the responsibility of ensuring that our stolen mandate is retrieved”, Atiku said.
“I am encouraged by the presence of fearless men and women of the Bench. The judiciary which had in the past discharged itself ably is once again being called upon to deliver judgement on this matter that will be untainted by lucre and uncowed by the threat of immoral power”, he added
Atiku Abubakar assures Nigerians that sooner than later these noble dispensers of justice will give a judgement that will represent a historic denunciation of electoral fraud and mandate bandit.
Signed: Paul Ibe
Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of PDP and Vice President of Nigeria, 1999-2007.