Former lawmaker and prominent social critic, Shehu Sani, has raised concerns over the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) decision to challenge the outcome of the 2023 general elections in court, given that some of its members are joining the current administration. He expressed this sentiment in a post on his social media platform, X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday.

Sani’s statement read:

“If the PDP has approved and endorsed its members joining the Government, then it has no business being in Court.”

This commentary emerged in the wake of the appointment of former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, as a minister by President Bola Tinubu. Despite being a member of the PDP, Wike has not formally resigned from the party and has indicated that the PDP gave him the go-ahead to accept the ministerial position within Tinubu’s administration.

Wike’s stance has prompted questions about the PDP’s course of action, particularly as the party itself is challenging the election results in court. The PDP, along with its candidate Atiku Abubakar, submitted a petition to the tribunal requesting the nullification of Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election. They argue that there were substantial non-compliance issues with the constitution, the Electoral Act, and INEC’s guidelines during the election.

In the filed petition marked CA/PEPC/05/2023, Atiku and the PDP contend that INEC failed to adhere to its own regulations during the election process. The petitioners question the haste with which INEC chairman Professor Yakubu announced the results amid protests. The petition names INEC, Tinubu, and the APC as the first to third respondents.

As the PDP navigates the dynamic of its members participating in the government while simultaneously pursuing a legal challenge against the election results, Sani’s critique brings attention to the coherence of the party’s approach.

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