Presidency accuses Atiku of attempting to blackmail judiciary

The Presidency has issued a scathing response to the recent press statement by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, accusing him of attempting to blackmail the judiciary.

In the statement released on Saturday, Dele Alake, Special Adviser to the President, defended the integrity of the judiciary and refuted Atiku’s claims without hesitation.

The press statement branded Atiku’s accusations as “laughable and jejune,” alleging that the former Vice President has not fully recovered from the shock of defeat in the last election.

Alake described Atiku’s assertions as “inanities that offend basic logic and rational thinking,” implying that they lacked substance and credibility.

Alake said: “We have read the laughable and jejune statement by former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate in the last election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“It is obvious that having been thoroughly defeated by the All Progressives Congress and now President Bola Ahmed 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.”

The Presidency further pointed out that Atiku failed to provide any concrete evidence to support his claims of the President Tinubu-led administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC) undermining the judiciary.

Alake went on to criticise Atiku for making “spurious and wild allegations” without backing them up with convincing arguments.

“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. Apart from innuendos, insinuations and outright lies contained in the said press statement, 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.

“If the former Vice President believes in democracy and the sanctity of the judiciary, as claimed, he would 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 Tribunal,” the presidential spokesman added.

He asserted that President Tinubu stands above Atiku in championing democracy, rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary. Alake cited President Tinubu’s track record as Governor of Lagos State, where he successfully challenged decisions of the then-PDP-led Federal Government in defense of states’ rights and the rule of law.

“Let it be said that when it comes to matters of fighting for democracy and democratic ideals, rule of law and independence of judiciary in Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu stands shoulder above Atiku Abubakar. When President Tinubu was leading the charge against the emasculation of the judiciary and promoting the sanctity of rule of law as the building block for good governance as Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007, under a PDP central government, Alhaji Atiku was nowhere to be found.

“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,” Alake said.

The statement emphasised that President Tinubu’s victory in the February 25, 2023 Presidential election was free, fair, and credible, calling it “the most transparent election ever conducted in Nigeria since 1999,” while also refuting any motive for the President and APC to undermine the judiciary.

“President Tinubu and the APC absolutely have no reason to undermine the judiciary in the hope of any favorable judgment,” the statement added.

Alake reiterated the Presidency’s confidence in the judiciary’s impartiality and called on Atiku to allow the institution to perform its sacred duty without harassment. The statement warned against discrediting an essential institution of the State for selfish political gain, deeming it “disingenuous, shameful, and unbecoming of a former Vice President of Nigeria.”