Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party‘s presidential candidate, has criticized the failure of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to make a certified copy of the verdict available three days after it was given.
Atiku’s lawyers have yet to receive a copy of the verdict.
As of Friday, the lawyers are alleged to have formally requested certified true copies from the court.
The former Vice President and his legal team have only 14 days to file an appeal with the Supreme Court against the PEPC verdict.
Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, signed the statement.
The statement said, “By not making available to Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, the certified true copies of the judgment of Wednesday for its filings at the Supreme Court, the Presidential Election Petition Court, is undermining Atiku’s and Nigerians quest for justice.”
Shaibu reminded the PEPC that some of Atiku’s witnesses’ testimonies were struck out during Wednesday’s judgement solely because their statements under oath were filed late.
He stated that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is aware that Atiku has already missed three days of the 14-day deadline for filing in their processes at the Supreme Court.
“And now, for all intents and purposes, the same court wants to have Atiku and PDP’s appeal to the Supreme Court disqualified by the reason of the time deadline.
“Does the PEPC not understand that the lawyers representing Atiku/PDP need to digest the judgment as contained in the CTC, which represents the authentic pronouncements made in court on Wednesday, in order to formulate its case for filing?” Shaibu queried
