In the ongoing saga, the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team has now stepped into the fray regarding the contentious watermark found on copies of the Presidential Elections Petition Tribunal’s judgment that circulated widely.
The watermark in question stirred up quite a storm, particularly on social media, with skeptics suggesting ulterior motives. Babatunde Ogala, the coordinator of TPLT, wasted no time responding to the critics, dismissing claims of any sinister intent behind the watermark.
Ogala clarified that they added the watermark to their copy of the judgment immediately after obtaining it from the Court of Appeal, before distributing scanned copies to their team members.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ogala explained, “After the delivery of judgment in the 3 election petitions by the Court of Appeal on September 6, 2023, the Court directed its registry to make physical copies of the same available on September 7, 2023. Accordingly, the Tinubu Presidential Legal Team applied for a Certified True Copy of the said judgment and paid the prescribed fee.”
He further revealed that lawyers representing the PDP were also present at the registry and collected their copy of the judgment simultaneously. The PDP’s representative, in fact, was the first to lay hands on the document. Once in possession of their own copy, TPLT swiftly scanned and watermarked it with the inscription “Tinubu Presidential Legal Team ‘TPLT'” before circulating the scanned versions to their legal team.
It’s important to note that the Certified True Copy issued by the registry to all parties involved in the petitions did not contain this particular inscription. Any insinuation to the contrary, according to Ogala, is baseless.
Ogala also urged the petitioners’ counsel to recognize the falsehood of the circulating insinuations, deeming them unfair, unkind, and unfortunate. He stressed that both sides have identical certified copies of the judgment.
Since the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal declared President Tinubu the victor of the 2023 Presidential Elections on Thursday, opposition parties have been seething with anger, threatening to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court. The public’s reaction has been equally divided, with some supporting the PEPT’s verdict while others deride it.
As we navigate this complex legal battle, dear reader, where do you stand on this contentious issue?
