PEPT verdict: ‘Election judgment based on technicality is naked injustice’ – Uwazurike

A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Chief Goddy Uwazurike, has said that yesterday’s judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) “showed that Justice is lying prostrate while technicality stood triumphant over it.”

A former President of Aka Ikenga, Chief Uwazurike said, in a statement in reaction to the verdict of the Court, that “indeed, the PEPT relied on technicality in analysing the trial including the evidence of the witnesses.

“To be blunt, the Tribunal failed to realize that it (judiciary) was on trial in the court of the people. The people expected that the verification of the scores will be a primary duty of the Tribunal.”

He stressed that people had expected that the Tribunal will order the “Independent” INEC to be truly independent. “INEC bluntly refused to produce the documents used in the election and the Tribunal did nothing. This amounted to unfair trial because the defense decided the evidence that will be available, not withstanding the Notice to Produce served on it and the reassurance of the chair that it will comply.

“In the end, the Tribunal ruled that the petitioner failed to prove his case.

“This Tribunal failed to respond to the question, WHO WON?

“Those who benefit from injustice see nothing wrong in the system.

“World over, the judiciary does not rely on technicality. It relies on substantial justice, on what the people understand.

“Those who were beaten up during the election, those who were denied the right to vote, those who witnessed the mutilation of results are still wondering.. what happened?

“Election judgment based on technicality is naked injustice,” Uwazurike concluded.