Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar bemoaned the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal’s inability to make a certified copy of the verdict available three days after it was delivered.
Atiku’s attorneys have not yet received a copy of the ruling.
According to reports, the attorneys formally requested certified true copies from the court on Friday.
Just 14 days remain for the former vice president and his legal team to file an appeal against the PEPC decision with the Supreme Court.
According to a statement signed by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s special assistant for public communications.
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 the testimonies of Atiku’s witnesses were struck out during Wednesday’s ruling simply because their statements on oath were filed out of time.
He said the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is not oblivious that Atiku has already lost three days of the 14-day limit stipulated 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 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