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PDP Expressed Confidence in Judiciary to Deliver Fair Judgement in Presidential Election Petition

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) prepares to deliver its judgment on the petition filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed confidence in the judiciary to deliver a fair and acceptable judgement. Pedro Obaseki, director of strategy and research of the PDP presidential campaign Council, stated that the issue of eligibility is key in the petition, which challenges INEC's declaration of President Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PDP is confident in the judiciary to deliver a fair and acceptable judgement in the ongoing petition.
  • The APM petition is based on the grounds that Vice President Kashim Shettima had double nominations as a Senatorial and Vice Presidential candidate before the February 25 polls.
  • The party listed INEC, President Tinubu, Vice President Shettima, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ibrahim Masari as respondents in the petition.
  • The party prayed the tribunal to nullify Tinubu's election on the grounds that the process through which the INEC declared him the winner was 'flawed'.
  • The PDP's case is different from the APM's because the election was yet to hold as at July, 2022 when the PDP's case was dismissed at the Supreme Court.
  • The PDP went to court in July 2022 to contest the double nomination and placeholder position with Mr. Masari and Shettima, but the court ruled without looking at the substantive case.
  • Obaseki argued that the APM petition is based on the correspondences of the APC and INEC, and that the electoral act states clearly that upon nomination, a candidate can no longer be replaced unless they voluntarily withdraw in writing or die.

Statistics:

  • The APM petition listed five respondents: INEC, APC, Bola Tinubu, Shettima, and Masari.
  • The electoral act states that a primary must be held and it must be within 14 days.
  • The election was held on February 25, 2023.
  • The PDP's case was dismissed at the Supreme Court in July 2022.

Sources:

  • Pedro Obaseki's comments as quoted in the article.
  • Pedro Obaseki's background as director of strategy and research of the PDP presidential campaign Council.
  • The APM's petition to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
  • The PDP's case filed with the Supreme Court in July 2022.

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