Friday, April 3, 2015
President Jonathan Halts PDP Plan To Contest Presidential Election At Tribunal
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President Goodluck Jonathan may have prevailed on the Peoples Democratic Party not to challenge the victory of President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, in Saturday's election.
Instead of planning a case for the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the Presidency will raise a Transition Committee on Tuesday, a source has told The Nation. Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is likely to head the All Progressives Congress team, which will join the committee ahead of the May 29 transition.
Ministers have started preparing their handover notes, The Nation said it also learnt. It was gathered that although some PDP stalwarts wanted the victory of Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, challenged at the tribunal, the President thought otherwise.
The party stalwarts, it was said, believe that some irregularities in some states are strong enough to upturn the final results of the election, which was hailed at home and abroad as substantially credible.
Jonathan, it was learnt, said it made no sense contesting Buhari's victory after he had conceded defeat.
It was learnt that the PDP leaders referred to the electoral scenario in Ekiti State where the APC went to tribunal despite the acceptance of defeat by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi. The President, however, stood his ground that he would rather stand by his statesmanship attitude than going to the tribunal.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "The President has prevailed on PDP to drop plans to go to tribunal against Buhari. He said he wants his word to be his bond, having been applauded by the international community.
"At a point, Jonathan said: 'I don't believe in post-election petition at tribunal because it distracts the incoming administration.' "He also said Nigeria must emulate other nations where once the presidential poll is lost and won, the new government must not be distracted with election petitions.
"He told party leaders that he was not interested in going to the tribunal. It is now left for PDP leaders to heed his advice. "So as at Thursday, the government's position is that the PDP should not go to tribunal."
Instead of planning a case for the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the Presidency will raise a Transition Committee on Tuesday, a source has told The Nation. Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, is likely to head the All Progressives Congress team, which will join the committee ahead of the May 29 transition.
Ministers have started preparing their handover notes, The Nation said it also learnt. It was gathered that although some PDP stalwarts wanted the victory of Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, challenged at the tribunal, the President thought otherwise.
The party stalwarts, it was said, believe that some irregularities in some states are strong enough to upturn the final results of the election, which was hailed at home and abroad as substantially credible.
Jonathan, it was learnt, said it made no sense contesting Buhari's victory after he had conceded defeat.
It was learnt that the PDP leaders referred to the electoral scenario in Ekiti State where the APC went to tribunal despite the acceptance of defeat by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi. The President, however, stood his ground that he would rather stand by his statesmanship attitude than going to the tribunal.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: "The President has prevailed on PDP to drop plans to go to tribunal against Buhari. He said he wants his word to be his bond, having been applauded by the international community.
"At a point, Jonathan said: 'I don't believe in post-election petition at tribunal because it distracts the incoming administration.' "He also said Nigeria must emulate other nations where once the presidential poll is lost and won, the new government must not be distracted with election petitions.
"He told party leaders that he was not interested in going to the tribunal. It is now left for PDP leaders to heed his advice. "So as at Thursday, the government's position is that the PDP should not go to tribunal."
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