Some People Blackmailing Presidential Tribunal Are First Time Voters And They Believe Rightly Or Wrongly That Their Candidate Must Be Declared The Winner – Falana

Some People Blackmailing Presidential Tribunal Are First Time Voters And They Believe Rightly Or Wrongly That Their Candidate Must Be Declared The Winner – Falana

In an interview on Channels Television, human rights lawyer Femi Falana expressed concerns about individuals attempting to tarnish the reputation of the judiciary in relation to the presidential election petitions.

Falana pointed out that some of these individuals are “first-time voters,” and he is troubled by the widespread misconception that the presidential election tribunal represents the culmination of the electoral process.

The tribunal has scheduled September 6 for the verdict on the petitions contesting the victory of Tinubu in the February 25 election.

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Notably, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have approached the tribunal to challenge Tinubu’s win.

Over the past few months, discussions surrounding the presidential election tribunal have been viewed as a threat to the integrity of the judiciary by some quarters.

When asked about his perspective on the tribunal’s functioning, Falana highlighted that this is the first instance in which the judiciary has faced such “extensive blackmail and intimidation” concerning election petitions since the colonial era.

The human rights lawyer also questioned the motivation behind this “unwarranted blackmail” of the judiciary, emphasizing that parties still have the option to appeal to the Supreme Court following the tribunal’s verdict on Wednesday.

“We have been having election petitions since the colonial era, but none has attracted such level of blackmail and intimidation of the judiciary,” he said.

“I am worried that people give the impression that everything ends with the judgment of the court of appeal.

“Any party that loses on Wednesday still has the opportunity to appeal to the supreme court. So, what is the basis for the cheap blackmail that is going on?

“Some of the people involved are voting for the first time and they believe rightly or wrongly that their candidate must be declared the winner and I think that is what is going on.”

Falana said the tribunal will deliver judgment based on the evidence before it, adding that the judges must not be intimidated.