THERE are indications that supporters of President Umaru Yar�Adua are now gripped by fear ahead of Tuesday�s judgment by the presidential election tribunal in Abuja.
Some chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) including two key cabinet members had converged on the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, late Saturday night to project the outcome of the sitting of the tribunal on Tuesday, a member of the Senate told the Nigerian Tribune.
The judgment by the election tribunal in Benue State which nullified the election of the Senate president, David Mark, has apparently put pressure on supporters of the president.
General Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and that of the Action Congress (AC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, have been expressing hope on the tribunal�s judgment.
The duo of Buhari and Atiku had challenged the result o the April 21, 2007 presidential election which saw the emergence of Yar�Adua as president.
Yar�Adua, who contested the election on the ticket of the PDP had, at several fora, admitted that the 2007 general election was marred by sundry irregularities.
Atiku said he was excluded from the presidential election after he was validly nominated by his party, the AC, as its candidate.
The former vice-president argued that the election was not valid as its conduct was allegedly in flagrant breach of the provisions of the Electoral Act 2006, a development which he said must have already affected the election result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku had reportedly breezed into the country in the early hours of Saturday from Dubai to monitor events at the tribunal.
On his expectation, Atiku said �I have always held a view that the general election in April 2007 was a sham. No election took place, but allocation of votes. We are happy that today in Nigeria, no big man is beyond reproach and that politicians should learn to win elections honestly.�
Atiku, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune in Abuja, expressed confidence in the tribunal, stressing, �We hope that the Ogebe panel will do the right thing by voiding the presidential election. We expect nothing than victory.�
On his own part, Buhari had petitioned the election petition tribunal, asking for the nullification of Yar�Adua�s election on the basis that it was marred by sundry electoral malpractices, including rigging and violence.
The former head of state had also argued that Yar�Adua did not score the highest number of votes cast to be declared winner at the poll.
The PDP-led Federal Government had, a few months after its inauguration, extended an olive branch to the other political parties and invited them to participate in a Government of National Unity (GNU).
The negotiations resulted in the ANPP agreeing to participate in the Yar�Adua government.
This created a division in the ANPP. The presidential candidate of the party, Buhari, parted ways with the leadership of the party over the issue.
There was also a disagreement in the AC over whether to participate in the GNU or not. This led to some top members leaving the party. They included former Kano State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Umar Na�Abba and former National Secretary of the AC, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed reports of anxiety by its members on what to expect on Tuesday.
The party said it did not expect unfavourable judgment because President Yar�Adua won the 2007 presidential election as reflected by the results.
The party�s acting National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bayo Alao, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, said �we are calm and the president too is calm. We are not anxious about anything because we won the election fair and square.�