Presidential poll: Your prediction on Supreme Court’s imminent verdict an embarrassment, disgraceful, Atiku attacks EIU

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the February 25 election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has dismissed the prediction of the Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU that the Supreme Court won’t sack President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from office.
He said the prediction is an embarrassment to think tank body and paid for, by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC on pending petitions filed by the both the PDP and Labour Party, LP at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The body had declared that the “victory of President Tinubu would not be overturned at the Supreme Court”
Analysts at the EIU in their recent country report on Nigeria added:
“Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, won the February presidential election with only 36.6 percent of the vote. The result is being contested in court, but EIU does not expect it to be overturned.
“Founded in 1946, EIU forecasts economic trends, political forces and industry developments in every country in the world. They combine data, analysis and forecasting to guide informed decisions by businesses and policymakers. Their reports form important tools for investment decisions by many.
“It is not hard to see how this decision was reached, since 1999, the Nigerian Supreme Court has not upturned a presidential vote, not even the 2007 general elections that was so flawed even late President Umaru Musa Yaradua, the key beneficiary admitted the votes were rigged”.
In his reaction however,
the former Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) in a statement by his media aide Paul Ibe faulted the prediction.
It read: “We have taken a careful study of the report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and we regret to say that the report is an embarrassment to the think tank body.
What is also obvious in the report is that it is a merchant purchased by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to confuse the country in an uphill task to defend the sham election of February 25, which only retained the ruling party in office.
“Notwithstanding the preponderance of salient issues raised on the credibility of the so-called election by local and foreign observers, it is disappointing that the EIU would condescend to ballot laundering for the ruling party in the most populous Black country.
“While we wish to express our intention to apply cautious restraint in responding to the EIU on this disgraceful outing, let this be considered as a stern warning to the body to respect Nigeria’s democracy and the institution of our judiciary, and that next time, they should be more circumspect before they jump on any trade by barter jaundiced reports about Nigeria.
“However, to the APC that is going cap in hand begging for legitimacy at all impossible places, we wish to remind them of a popular local proverb that: “he who steals a drum from the palace carries the unenviable burden of where to beat it.”
“A government that goes around to buy anything at sight to award legitimacy unto itself leaves much to the imagination of the people.
“President Tinubu and his team of lawyers had all the opportunity at the court to present his case of legitimacy before the parties closed their cases at the election petition tribunal. But rather than explore that opportunity, his lawyers were busy signing counter motions on subpoenas that seek to shed more light on his personal information.
“We therefore consider it a breach of due process anything that is being done outside the walls of the court that seeks to make short circuited testimony about the outcome of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal”