Presidential election judgment based on existing laws – Frank Tietie

Mr Frank Tietie, a human rights activist, says judgment of Presidential Election Petition Tribunal that affirmed election of President Muhammadu Buhari is based on existing laws on conduct of elections in the country.

Tietie, who was reacting to the judgment in Abuja on Wednesday said that the judgement had confirmed what many Nigerians had been thinking on the true position of the law.

“Today’s judgment is based on the law as it is, not on what you wish the law should be .

“A Judge cannot go outside the law, no matter how morally sound or morally good an idea or argument is.

“However, unacceptable and unpalatable the law may be, with regard to issues like educational qualifications for contesting election.

“So, whatever Nigerians may have thought before is different from what the judment has confirmed.

”I have always known the position of the constitution that educational qualification is not a pre-requisite for contesting election in Nigeria,” he said.

He commended the panel of Justices for hinging their judgement on the existing law.

He said the judgment reflected that things could be better resolved using the judiciary.

According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not commit any fundamental error by failing to transmit election results electronically.

“If INEC fails to do so, it did not commit any fundamental error, because there is no law now that mandates it,.’’ he said.