CNPP BACKS BUHARI OVER DECISION TO GO TO SUPREME COURT

General Muhammadu Buhari

 The conference of Nigeria Political Party, CNPP, has thrown its weight behind the resolve of General Muhammadu Buhari, Presidential Candidate of the All Nigeria's Peoples Party, ANPP, to challenge the ruling of the Appeal Court of the Presidential Election Tribunal.

The Presidential Election Petition Appeal Court had dismissed petitions demanding the nullification of the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua and his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan.

Delivering judgment, the court said the petitioners, retired Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress, did not prove that Yar'Adua did not win the April 21, 2007 presidential election lawfully

    CNPP in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechukwu which described the verdict as "obnoxious" said "Buhari and Abubakar should discountence those who fail to appreciate the immense advantages the nation stands to gain by giving the Supreme Court the golden opportunity to thoroughly review the obnoxious judgement."

 "For a long time some people had exploited the assumption that Nigerians have  short memory  to commit havoc, without taking into account the dangerous outcome of such assumptions. No wonder why those who are calling on General Buhari and Alhaji Abubakar to foreget thier stolen mandate, foregot that they mounted the same pressure on Buhari in 2003 after the massive rigging that took place."

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"Their arguement then was that 2007 election will be free and fair, better conducted, that was not the case, infact the 2007 elections became worse and the local government elections that followed further fouled the democratic landscape. Even in Kastina State where President Umaru Yaradua could have made sure that his boys will demonstrate his committment to electoral reforms, he failed to do so. It raises the question whether he is committed to electoral reforms or just drumming orchestra of deceptiopn?"

 "It is our considered view that the issue of doctrine of public necessity does not arise,since the two main ingredients of insecurity in Nigeria----religoin and ethnicity---are totally absent and not in contention.The greatest threat to the survival of our democracy and indeed national security is the incurable electoral phobia of the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP}."

 "Consequently, the General Buhari appeal to the Supreme Court will definetly achieve the following democratic gains:"

 1.The appeal will determine whether the votes were arbitrarily allocated and how INEC came about conflicting final results, where President Yaradua got 25.6m votes in one and 24.6m votes in the other.

 2.It will restore confidence in the judiciary, which the judgement had tainted.

 3. It will prove some of us who questioned the nomination of the Chairman of the Tribunal Justice James Ogebe to the Supreme Court, wrong or right, bearing in mind that we queried the timing of his nomination and the fact that he is not the most senior from his region and hence suspected undue influence.

 4. It will expand the democratic frontiers, as the court process and getting to the final as Buhari said will prevent the Kenyan debacle.

 5. The appeal will deny or water down the unholy monopoly of power granted the PDP by the former president ,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

 6. A fresh election will expose the underbelly of the PDP as a party whose only objective is to captuire power for sef agrandisement.