Why we’re confident of victory at tribunal – PDP

ABUJA – As proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal continue in Abuja, the nation’s capital, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has expressed confidence of its chances of reclaiming victory for its candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, if the panel deals with the issues before it without fear or favour.

PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Ob at the 2019 Presidential Election Appeal Panel, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachawa during the opening of the hearing for the petition against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari at the Court of Appeal, Abuja.

The party while insisting that Atiku won the election wondered why rather than proving the legitimacy of the mandate, the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress, APC, “are busy harassing our leaders and bringing up frivolous allegations against our candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in a bid to distract us from the petition pending before the tribunal.”

In a chat with our correspondent yesterday, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan insisted that Nigerians trooped out enmasse to elect the former Vice President “as President Buhari failed on the three thematic areas of focus he anchored his 2015 campaign on.”

According to him, “Nigerians compared their living standards while the PDP was in power to the four years of the ruling APC and concluded that it was time to take back their country. That is why we reminded fellow citizens that the election was a referendum on hunger, poverty, economy, anti-corruption and what have you.

“We have strong evidence that our candidate won the election and that is why they are not comfortable today. They will raise one allegation or the other against our party and when you confront them to prove same; they will keep mum and then raise yet another. Nigerians have seen through their lies and are no longer moved by such things.”

He added that the party will continue to demand that the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa recuse herself from the election petition tribunal, stressing that in sane climes, the revered judge ought to have done the needful without waiting to be asked to do so.

“We insist that our country is one of civilization. The PDP has nothing personal against Justice Bulkachuwa but we are saying that on the basis of morality, she should not be part of a panel to hear the petition of a party which listed the APC, the political platform of her husband as an interested party,” he added.