The Supreme Court of Nigeria has said there was no conversation between Olukayode Ariwoola, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding the outcome of the election petition tribunal.
Recall that standard bearers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are challenging the victory of Tinubu in the last poll.
Moreso, the duo recently submitted their final written addresses after closing their respective cases at the election Tribunal but the court is yet to fix a day for judgment in the petitions.
However, Jackson Ude, United States news vendor, had claimed that the President spoke with the CJN over the outcome of the presidential election petition.
Ude alleged that the CJN told Tinubu to prepare for a rerun election.
Reacting to the allegation in a statement on Wednesday, Festus Akande, spokesperson of the Supreme Court, described the claim as “false”.
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“It is imperative to state clearly that there is no iota of truth in the narrative, as there was no such telephone conversation between the CJN and anyone.
“Nigerians have been following the proceedings at the presidential election petition tribunal with admirable enthusiasm.
“So, it is advisable we all sustain the tempo and follow it up to the end, instead of relapsing into the realm of speculations and rumour peddling that will not do anyone any good.
“If this current trend of falsehood and mudslinging is sustained, our nation may not make the desired progress.
“The courts are statutorily established to serve the best interest of the masses and we are ever poised to do that to the best of our ability.
“We wish to plead with everyone to cooperate with the judiciary to serve the country to its full capacity, as no one will ever be favoured against the other in any dispute.
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“The rule of law and supremacy of the Nigerian constitution will always be upheld and applied in every matter that comes before the courts; as the facts presented and the subsisting laws must be applied in determining the merit or otherwise of each matter.
“The public should rest assured that justice will be done to all matters pending in the various courts across the country, irrespective of who is involved,” Akande said.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) also denied the allegation by Ude.
“President Tinubu and our Party won the last Presidential election without a doubt, and do not have any need to engage in side conversations with the CJN regarding pending petitions before the PEPC. As the core democrat that he is, the President respects the right of aggrieved candidates in the election to seek redress for any grievances that they may have. The Constitution and Electoral Act provide effective guarantees of that right,” APC’s spokesperson, Felix Morka stated.
