The Presidential Election Petitions Court had fixed Monday for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu as the president-elect.
The Atiku Support Organisation (ASO) has alleged that some desperate cartels in the All Progressives Congress (APC) are working tirelessly to frustrate and arm-twist the judiciary.
The Presidential Election Petitions Court had fixed Monday for the hearing of the petitions challenging the declaration of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu as the president-elect.
The expected legal battle by candidates disputing the outcome of the 2023 presidential poll will commence on May 8.
However, a statement signed by Victor Moses, National Publicity Secretary of ASO, asserted that some are already planning the ‘Sudanization of Nigeria if the case of the worst election in Nigeria since 1960 goes against them’.
The group described any judgment which fails to favour Atiku Abubakar as the validly and duly-elected President of Nigeria, or at least, order for a runoff or a rerun as a miscarriage of justice.
It said, "As the election petition tribunal is set to begin hearing the petition filed by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party and Mr Peter Obi of the Labor Party challenging the INEC's wrong declaration of Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the President-elect, the Atiku Support Organisation is calling on the presidential election tribunal judges to stand firm for justice, resolute, and unshaken in the face of intimidation by some desperate cartels in the APC and INEC who want to seize Nigeria by all means.
"Nigerians are watching, the entire world is watching. Some desperate cartels in the APC are working tirelessly to frustrate and arm-twist the judiciary. Some are already planning the Sudanization of Nigeria if the case of the worst election in Nigeria since 1960 goes against them.
"But we believe this petition provides the best opportunity for our judges to make history and strengthen our democracy and laws. It happened in Kenya in September 2017, it can happen in Nigeria and havens will not fall.
"We wish to also strongly maintain that any judgment which fails to return His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar as the validly and duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or at least, order for a runoff or a rerun is a miscarriage of justice. The facts are clear and the evidences are too glaring even to the blind.”
"The court should be truly the court of justice and not of technicality. The court should be the last hope of the common man and not of the man with a deep pocket. Those who criminally and brazenly rigged themselves into office must not escape justice with substantial consequences on the grounds of technicality," the statement added.