It was victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) upheld his victory recorded at the Presidential election held on February 25, 2023 poll.
The court ruled that the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lacked merit and were therefore dismissed.
It also struck out the evidence presented by Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential standard bearer in the 2023 Presidential election, saying he didn’t prove he won the election, and that LP’s petitions were unmeritorious.
The court ruled that Atiku and PDP failed to call polling agents but depended on collation agents whose evidence was hearsay.
The court ruled further on Obi and LP’s petitions that the petitioners only made “generic accusations of irregularities in the election but failed to specify the anomaly, the places where it occurred and those affected.
Even though Peter Obi and LP claimed to have scored the majority of the lawful vote cast, they failed to state the number of lawful votes they cast, therefore the court held that, “The determination of election is about figures.”
Justice Abba Mohammed on LP/Obi’s petition said, “They failed to state the numbers of vote affected and the numbers of people disenfranchised.”
However, PEPC ruled in favour of Obi on his membership of LP, saying he had the locus standi to institute the petition.
The PEPC also ruled that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) is independent so it chose the method of transmission of result; that the fraud case against Tinubu was not proven; that the President was cleared of the drug related crimes in the US; that the residents in Abuja were not special hence 25% of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) not necessary to become President; and that President Tinubu is academically qualified to contest for President.
Also, PEPC rejected the European Union (EU) report, saying it was not tendered by an official of the body which authorised it.
Earlier on, the court had struck out the Allied Peoples Movement’s (APM) petitions against President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, saying they lacked merit.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani held that members of a political party were not allowed by law to challenge the nomination of candidates of another party, concluding that APM lacked the locus standi to institute the petition.
The court in its ruling dismissed the APM’s petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and four others.
Meanwhile, the LP has rejected the judgement of PEPC, saying it was not a reflection of people’s desire.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, expressed that justice was not served in the petition of the party against APC and Tinubu.
Ifoh disclosed that LP would make its next move known when it consults its lawyer after receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgement.
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