Presidential election petition: Atiku, PDP are shedding crocodile tears over Bulkachuwa – APC Rep- elect
Tunde Opalana, Abuja
An elected member of the House of Representatives from Kwara State, Egnr. Ismail Tijani has knocked both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar over demand for Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa to recuse herself as Chairman of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
Tijani who was elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) described their call as hoax, foul cry and baseless.
He told the Daily Times that having affinity of whatever form with an APC member shouldn’t have been basis for the PDP to deny Justice Bulkachuwa chance to answer her professional calling.
Describing the opposition as shedding crocodile tears, the politician argued that neither the PDP nor Atiku would have raised an eyebrow if Bulkachuwa was to be related with a top notched PDP member.
“I wonder why people raises unwarranted excuses in such a sensitive matter as Presidential election appeal”, he queried.
Engr. Tijani stated further that ” why I say that PDP’s demand is baseless is that the person in question, Justice Bulkachuwa has been in top position of President of Appeal Court before the 2019 Presidential election and she did not appoint herself to be member of the appeal panel but was opportune to be there and to be the chairman by virtue of her position as Appeal Court President.
“I do not see any reason why the opposition should be calling for her recusing simply because she is married to a politician who just got elected as a Senator on the platform of APC.
” The case at hand is Presidential election case and not senatorial petition involving her husband, why then should anybody be calling her to step down from carrying out her duties”.
The Rep- elect rather advised the PDP and Atiku to face their appeal squarely and leave Justice Bulkachuwa alone to perform her responsility.
He added that the opposition are just creating fear where there is none, stressing that the panel is not a one-man panel but a panel of five eminently qualified jurists.
“Afterall, Justice Bulkachuwa has one judgement to deliver as other members of the panel. What the PDP need to do is get their legal team prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and leave the rest to the members of the panel”, he said.
