Tribunal judgment: I didn’t congratulate Tinubu, will never validate electoral heist – Atiku

Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has denied thanking President Bola Tinubu on his victory at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

In response to reports that he had congratulated Tinubu on the decision of the tribunal outing, Atiku called the reports “fake news” and blamed them on those who were “desperately looking for validation” for their usurpation of the Nigerian people’s mandate.

According to a statement released by Atiku’s media adviser Paul Ibe, validating electoral banditry would have been a “rape on the conscience of Nigerians” who have fought for years to ensure the credibility of their elections.

If they have a good heart and are sure of their triumph, Ibe says, they won’t need to use fake news to coerce their political opponents into praising them.

Why should a man need constant reassurance? Do we need to verify the truth? If your conscience is not affected by the electoral fraud you have perpetrated, there is no reason for you to issue a celebratory remark and ascribe it to Atiku.

Tinubu’s propagandists are spreading false information, but Atiku said he has already instructed his attorneys to appeal the election petition tribunal’s decision to the Supreme Court.

Atiku said that Tinubu was addressed as “President-elect” in the reported telegram, proving that the message was bogus and unremarkable.

It’s ludicrous to continue call Bola Tinubu “President-elect” five months after he was sworn in, even though we all know it was a pyrrhic victory.

Forget Atiku; this fight is for Nigeria and the survival of our democracy. Our democracy is at risk if those who try to tamper with the voting process are allowed to escape punishment. Democracy relies on the support of the governed, and its legitimacy is undermined when power is exercised against their wishes.