The Court of Appeal has rejected the challenge by the Labour Party’s Peter Obi against the election of Bola Tinubu as president. The party said it rejected the ruling.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal said Mr Obi’s allegations of fraud during the election was without merit. He dismissed all his arguments.
The election marked the most competitive race in post-1999 Nigeria, featuring three formidable candidates. Mr Tinubu was declared winner with 37% of the total votes, while Mr Abubakar garnered 29% and Mr Obi received 25%.
Lead justice Haruna Tsammani, who read the verdict for more than seven hours, said “the petitioners failed to prove allegations of corrupt practices and over-voting”.
Justice Tsammani also said failed to specify the polling units where they alleged that rigging took place and failed to provide any credible evidence to prove their allegations of suppression of votes in their strongholds.
Mr Obi and his legal team said in May that the electoral commission, Inec, refused to give them 70% of the election materials they required to prove their case, despite an order of court.
The judge did not comment on that claim.
Mr Tsammani also said the electoral commission was not bound to transmit results electronically despite promising to do so.
He also dismissed Mr Obi’s claims that Mr Tinubu was not qualified for the election because of a drug-related forfeiture he was involved with in the United States.
The claim that he needed to score 25% of vote in Abuja was also dismissed.
The court is deciding on a separate petition against Mr Tinubu, brought by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election.
The petitioners can appeal the outcomes at the Supreme Court.
Labour Party Rejects Ruling
The LP said in a statement that the judgement did not reflect the law and desires of the people.
“The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people,” the statement by Obiora Ifoh, the party’s national publicity secretary, said.
“Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious.
“What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people’s will prevail.
“We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria.”
The said details of its position will be presented after consultation with lawyers.
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