Obi prays court to nullify election, declare him winner

Mr Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) and his party have prayed the Election Tribunal to nullify the process that produced the president elect Sen. Bola Tinubu.

Obi and his Party in a petition dated March 20 markedCA/PEPC/03/2023 alleged that Tinubu was not the rightful winner of the Feb 25 presidential election and that the election should be nullified.

Respondents in the petition are independent National electoral commission (INEC), Sen Bola Tinubu , Sen Shettima Kashim and All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu had declared Tinubu winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election after securing majority of votes cast at the poll.

According to Yakubu, Tinubu met the constitutional benchmark of scoring 25 per cent in two thirds of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory according to INEC.

Not satisfied with the outcome of the election, the petitioners are approaching the tribunal to seek redress.

They said that it be determined that based on the valid votes cast at the Presidential election of 25 February, 2023, the 1st Petitioner scored the highest number of votes cast at the election .

And not less than one quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the States in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and ought to be declared and returned as the winner of the Presidential election.

He therefore, sought an Order directing the 1st Respondent to issue the Certificate of Return to the 1st Petitioner as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

That it be determined that the Certificate of Return wrongly issued to the 2nd Respondent by the 1st Respondent is null and void and be set aside.

An order 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.

An Order further cancelling the Presidential Election conducted o 25th February 2023 and mandating the 1st Respondent to conduct fresh election for the office of President, the Federal Republic Nigeria.

The petitioners alleged glitches in the electronic system installed and managed by the 1st Respondent were a ploy invented to credit unlawful votes to the 2nd respondent

He added thereby, to wipe out the clear advantage which inured to the Petitioners following the lawful exercise of voting rights by the electorate.

The Petitioners shall rely on the results obtained from the iREV portal as well] as other copies of the Forms EC8A to establish that substantial votes were unlawfully credited to the 2nd respondent.

The Petitioners averted that they shall equally rely on numerous Press Statements made by and credited to the leadership of the 1stRespondent in an attempt to explain the process which led to the crediting of massive unlawful votes to the 2nd Respondent.

The petitioners averred that at the trial, the will rely on all the Investigation, Forensic, Expert and other Reports and spread sheets referred to/pleaded in the Petition, which are hereby incorporated as part of the Petition.

The petitioners averted that at the trial, they shall rely on all Respondent’s electoral materials and all other necessary documents used for the conduct of the Presidential election.