‘You’re yet to overcome shock of election defeat,’ Presidency replies Atiku on allegation of judicial intimidation

The presidency has reacted to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s allegation of intimidation by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Atiku had in a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, accused APC and agents of President Bola Tinubu of intimidating the judiciary in a bid to swing the ruling on the petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25 election in their favour.

APC had since described the allegations as arrant nonsense that lacked substance and cogency.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy to the President, Dele Alake, the presidency lamented that the former Vice President was yet to recover from the shock of his defeat in the presidential election.

The presidency also slammed Atiku for making spurious and wild allegations aimed at disparaging and discrediting the judiciary.

The statement read: “In the ill-thought-out and illogical statement, Alhaji Atiku accused the current administration of the governing APC of plotting to undermine the judiciary without providing any shred of evidence.

“Apart from innuendos, insinuations, and outright lies contained in the said press statement, the former Vice President Atiku didn’t put forward any convincing argument to support his claims on how the President Tinubu-led administration and APC sought to undercut, undermine and compromise the judiciary.

“If the former Vice President believes in democracy and the sanctity of the judiciary, as claimed, he would not engage in making spurious and wild allegations aimed at disparaging and discrediting an important arm of government that should serve as the bulwark for our democracy.

“He shamelessly resorted to this cheap attempt to intimidate and blackmail the judiciary even when he is a party to a case before the presidential election tribunal.

READ ALSO: Atiku’s allegations on intimidation of judiciary arrant nonsense – APC

“Let it be said that when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, the rule of law, and independence of the Judiciary in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar.

“When President Tinubu was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of the rule of law as the building block for good governance as governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, under a PDP central government, Alhaji Atiku was nowhere to be found.

“It is on record and to his eternal credit that President Tinubu, through the instrumentality of the law and judiciary, successfully challenged many of the draconian and obnoxious decisions of the PDP-led federal government that trampled on the rights of the states as federating units. Lagos State under the leadership of the then governor Tinubu won over 13 cases up to the Supreme Court against the hydra-headed PDP administration at the centre.

“No leader with such a sterling and enviable credential as a champion of rule of law, and independence of the judiciary like President Tinubu will ever contemplate undermining the Judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku.

“President Tinubu won a free, fair, and credible election. The February 25, 2023 presidential election that produced him is the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999.”

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