Presidential poll: Atiku denies alleged plot to lead protest against Buhari govt, INEC

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last election, Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday morning refuted the claim that he was planning to protest against the Muhammadu Buhari government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

His rebuttal was contained in a tweet he posted on Twitter.

He was reacting to a quote credited to a PDP Youth Group which said: “My Server Results Are Authentic and If judges frustrate the Justice we will take over the street. I will lead all Nigerians in a massive protest that mankind have never witness before.”

Responding: Atiku said: “The quote purportedly attributed to me with respect to INEC Server, an issue currently before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal is fake and the handiwork of mischief makers.”

At the last tribunal hearing, INEC denied having a server where results of the February 23 presidential election were uploaded.

Atiku and the PDP had through their lawyers led by Levy Uzoukwu, SAN, asked the Tribunal to compel the electoral umpire to grant them access to the server and smart card readers.

However, INEC’s lawyer, Yunus Ustaz Usman (SAN) in a counter affidavit asked the court to dismiss the application.

“They are asking us to bring something we don’t have,” he said.

Usman further called the Tribunal’s attention to its judgment on March 6 granting PDP access to inspect only election materials without the server.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, Lateef Fagnemi, SAN, both told the Tribunal to dismiss the application for failing to disclose the existence of the server.