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The presidency has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop blackmailing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the judiciary over their loss of elections.<\/p>\n
Recall that last week, Atiku called on opposition parties to form a merger against the ruling party, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) is turning Nigeria into \u201ca dictatorship of one party.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PDP also called for a review of what it described as \u201cbiased\u201d verdicts delivered by election panels set up to entertain petitions from the polls.<\/p>\n
Umar Damagum, acting National Chairman of the PDP, urged Nigerians to rise and defend the \u201cintegrity of our judicial system and stem a looming crisis in our beloved country.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, on Monday, the ruling party condemned the allegations by Atiku and the PDP, via a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu\u2019s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.<\/p>\n
He described the claims as \u201cwild and libellous\u201d and born out of PDP\u2019s desperation to \u201chang their woes on President Tinubu and the judiciary.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident Tinubu is a democrat to the core. We make bold to say that as president, he has not interfered with the judgment of the judiciary.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had witnessed how, under his watch, the PDP governor in Osun defeated the APC at the Supreme Court. Similarly, the PDP Governor in Bauchi also won his case in the Appeal court, beating the APC.<\/p>\n
READ ALSO: APC Moving Nigeria Into Dictatorship, Opposition Parties Need To Merge \u2014 Atiku<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cPresident Tinubu is also not planning to impose a one-party state as Atiku has serially alleged and his party and spokesman have now parroted.<\/p>\n \u201cUnlike Atiku Abubakar, President Tinubu\u2019s record as a democrat par excellence and a strong advocate of the rule of law has been globally acknowledged.<\/p>\n \u201cHis record of service as governor, which witnessed giant strides in various facets of the state, was responsible for the dominance of his political structure in Lagos and not by any undemocratic conduct, as Atiku Abubakar wants the public to believe.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile Atiku and PDP are now crying wolf over the Appeal Court rulings on governorship polls in Plateau, Zamfara and Nasarawa States, we hasten to ask the former Vice President where he was in 2019 when the court ruled against All Progressives Congress in Zamfara State. The court then awarded all the positions won by the APC to PDP.<\/p>\n \u201cWe once again implore Atiku and PDP to stop their campaign of calumny and blackmail against the judiciary and the honourable judges and justices.<\/p>\n \u201cJudgments are based on law and evidence. In election petition cases, they are based on the Electoral Act and the Constitution, not on sentiments and emotions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is irresponsible and a disservice to our country for the opposition, after failing to observe the letters and spirits of the law, to now turn around to tear down an important arm of our government,\u201d Onanuga detailed via X<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n