The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja on Monday adjourned the pre-hearing in the petition of the Labour Party (LP) and Peter Obi challenging Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election to May 10, 2023.
The former governor of Anambra State who emerged third in the presidential election is challenging the victory of the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu.
Obi and his party have raised concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process, urging the tribunal to investigate the matter and deliver a just verdict.
The petition, jointly filed by Obi and his party, has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, Shettima Kashim, and the APC as the respondents.
Obi and LP want the tribunal to determine “that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the Presidential Election in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023”.
Obi and his party also prayed to the court to order the cancellation of the February 25 presidential election.
They added that: “the Presidential election conducted on 25th February 2023 is void on the ground that the election was not conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended”.
In addition to the election cancellation, the LP candidate asked the court to compel INEC to conduct a fresh election.
Obi also prayed the tribunal to make an order that will disqualify Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima from the fresh election.
He said, “The nomination of Kashim Shettima as the Vice Presidential candidate was defective as he did not withdraw from his nomination as a senatorial candidate of his party before accepting to serve as the vice presidential candidate of Tinubu”.
OsunDaily News had earlier reported that Obi stormed the courtroom on Monday following the commencement of the presidential tribunal hearing.
