Obi files petition challenging Tinubu’s presidential victory

The candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the Feb. 25 presidential election, has filed a court petition contesting the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the APC as winner.

Mr Obi came third in the poll, according to the electoral commission, Inec.

The petition was filed at the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday, two days before the last of 21 days allowed for such petitions.

Atiku Abubakar of PDP, who finished second, has also said he will challenge Mr Tinubu’s emergence as president-elect and has until Wednesday to file a petition.

– Key points to note

In details seen by Pluboard, Mr Obi says Mr Tinubu was not qualified to run for president given his record of entanglements with the American justice system, leading to his forfeiture of hundreds of thousands of dollars to U.S. authorities.

He also argues that Mr Tinubu was not elected by a majority of the votes cast and the Independent Electoral Commission, which he accuses of conducting the nationwide poll in violation of the law and the commission’s own rules, should declare him winner instead.

– Learn more

A presidential election has never been upturned in Nigeria, but Mr Obi says he has confidence in the courts.

The legal challenge will not stop Mr Tinubu from being sworn into office on May 29 when the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari ends.

The appeal court has 180 days to make a ruling, and the outcome can be challenged further at the Supreme Court.