PDP raises alarm over tribunal’s ‘delay’ to release record of judgment

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised alarm over what it described as undue delay by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to release the record of its judgment delivered Wednesday in Abuja.

The PDP in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the delay was a calculated ploy to prevent the party and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar from filing an appeal to upturn the judgment at the Supreme Court.

The PDP said the delay was unnecessary on grounds that it has only 14 days to appeal the judgment.

The party expressed fears that the delay was allegedly calculated to alter some “fundamental mistakes” made by the tribunal and to frustrate the PDP at the Supreme Court.

“Our party fears that this development is lending credence to suspicion in the public space that the judgment is being tampered with and altered, in the name of correcting errors, knowing that there is no way the verdicts can stand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court.

“We also hope there is no link between the circumstances surrounding this delay and the boasts by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, speaking for the Buhari Presidency, as well as the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, that justice will not be served to the PDP and our presidential candidate at the Supreme Court.

“The PDP had always alerted Nigerians of the relentless efforts by theAPC to manipulate processes and we are happy that our party and Nigerians in general, have the full video and audio recording of the judgment and we will not hesitate to expose any underhand act by anybody.

“The PDP therefore demands the immediate release of the record of judgment as delivered by the Tribunal without any form of alterations,” the PDP said.