“Uphold INEC’s Declaration of my Victory in 21 States,” Atiku Tells Tribunal

Salihu Ali, Abuja.

Last updated Jul 22, 2023

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) to uphold the declaration of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that he (Atiku) won 21 States in the February 25 Presidential Election.

Atiku made the request in his final address filed at the Presidential Election Petitions Court on July 20 in support of his joint petition with the PDP, seeking the nullification of INEC’S declaration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu as winner of the poll.

In the final address to the court by his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche SAN, Atiku said that the INEC’S assertion that he won in 21 States was neither disputed, retracted, debunked and not claimed to be an error through the proceedings of the Tribunal so far.

INEC had, in its response to Atiku’s petition, asserted that the PDP’s presidential candidate won 21 States of the Federation in the last presidential poll.

The 21 States listed by the INEC as having been won by Atiku and the PDP are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom. Bauchi. Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina.

Others are Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara States.

The former Vice President said that since the Independent National Electoral Commission, which on its own averments claimed that he won 21 states, did not rebut the assertion throughout the proceedings, the Tribunal should proceed to uphold his declaration.

“Very importantly, the 1st Respondent (INEC) who conducted the election made an open admission in paragraph 18 of its Reply to the Petition, where it unequivocally stated that the 1st Respondent further avers that in compliance with extant laws and regulations, it diligently discharged its duties when it collated the 1st Petitioner’s (Atiku) scores at the election, which aggregates to 6,984,520, winning only 21 States.

“Indeed, as admitted by the 1st Respondent (INEC), the 1st Petitioner (Atiku) won in these 21 States. It is important to note that throughout the trial, the 1st Respondent (INEC) neither refuted nor countermanded this critical averment nor denied it.” Atiku said in the final address.

“We urge your Lordship to hold that this constitutes an admission that requires no further proof. It also constitutes an admission against interest,” Atiku said in the final address.

Technical Error

“Under the cover of the so-called “technical glitch” excuse which the Respondent (INEC) never explained, the results were deliberately manipulated through suppression and discounting of the votes of the 1st Petitioner (Atiku) and inflation of the votes of the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu).

“This deliberate bypass of the use of the prescribed verification technology was nationwide, and substantially affected the outcome of the election,” Atiku further claimed in his final address.

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Votes

“The said 1st Respondent (INEC) equally proceeded to declare the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) winner when the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) did not meet the mandatory constitutional requirement to secure not less than a quarter of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“As a result of non-use of collation by electronic transmission, the 1st Respondent (INEC) later altered the admitted results of 21 States for the 1st Petitioner to 12 States,” Atiku claimed.

Atiku, therefore, pleaded with the Tribunal to uphold the assertion of the INEC in the process and declare him the winner of the February 25 Presidential Election.