By Ismail Abdulaziz
The Presidency has faulted claims of interference in the judicial process by the former Vice President and 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, in Abuja on Saturday.
Alake described Atiku’s claims as that of a desperate politician that has lost in a free and fair election won by President Bola Tinubu.
”The former vice president has not fully recovered from the shock of defeat, hence the current attempt to mischievously rake up another round of inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking.
”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.
‘’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.”
Alake urged the former vice president to play by the rule of the game by always upholding democratic tenets and the sanctity of the judiciary.
”(He should) 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 party to a case before the Presidential Election Petition Court,” Alake said.
He recalled how Tinubu tread the path of democratic process during the PDP-administration as the governor of Lagos State.
Alake said that Tinubu led the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoted the sanctity of rule of law as Governor of Lagos State between 1999 and 2007.
”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, independence of judiciary like President Tinubu will ever contemplate undermining the judiciary as alleged by Alhaji Atiku.
Alake said that Tinubu won a free, fair and credible election, adding that the Feb. 25 Presidential Election was the most transparent election in Nigeria since 1999.
He said that neither Tinubu nor the APC had reasons to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favourable judgment.
”His lawyers and that of APC have presented very solid defence of the result of the election and we are sure the judiciary will impartially deliver its ruling on the basis of points of law and evidence before it.”
He called on the PDP presidential candidate to allow the judiciary to perform its sacred duty without harassment and his resorting to self-help.
”Attempting to discredit an important institution of state for selfish political end is disingenuous, shameful and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria,” Alake said.
(NAN)
