The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the February 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, on Tuesday described the celebration by the Presidency and other loyalists of President Muhammadu Buhari as premature, saying that the INEC Server issue was not dismissed by the Tribunal.
Mr Atiku, who stated this while responding to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, said his request and that of his party to inspect the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission was not rejected by the Presidential Election Tribunal.
The former Vice President, in a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, entitled, “He who laughs last, laughs best,” said the tribunal rather ruled that proceeding was still at preliminary stages and the main case has begun, adding that that the matter of granting access to inspect the INEC server is not relevant to the preliminary stage.
He further said the tribunal held that it is a matter to be adjudicated upon when the main case is being heard.
“The celebration by the administration of General Buhari that their electoral heist has been covered is premature.
“Their giddiness has even blinded them to the eye witness testimony given to multiple media in interviews by the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission that there is indeed a server and that they actually submitted results and accreditation through it.
“In their rush to claim a Pyrrhic victory, the General Buhari administration missed out the fact that the 2019 budget has multiple line items for procurement, maintenance and service of the server they claim does not exist.”
