Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to Deliver Judgment on Tinubu's Eligibility

Strategic Insights -

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja is set to deliver a verdict on petitions seeking to nullify President Bola Tinubu's election due to allegations of his ineligibility. The petitions, brought by candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, among others, claim that Tinubu did not meet the requirements for the presidency. The tribunal, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, has reserved judgment on the matter after hearing arguments from the parties involved.

Key Takeaways:

  • The two main petitions, CA/PEPC/05/2023 and CA/PEPC/03/2023, filed by Atiku and Obi, respectively, argue that Tinubu's election was invalid due to his alleged lack of qualifications and the manipulation of the electoral process.
  • The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has argued that the presidential election was conducted validly and in substantial compliance with the law, dismissing claims of irregularities and manipulation.
  • Tinubu and his running mate, Vice President Kashim Shettima, have argued that the petitions are baseless and that the election was rightful and authentic.
  • Atiku's lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, SAN, has urged the tribunal to nullify the election and order a re-run or fresh contest, citing alleged irregularities and the alleged lack of compliance with the Electoral Act.
  • Obi's lead counsel, Mr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, has contended that there was no technical glitch during the election but an intentional act to sabotage the outcome of the poll.
  • INEC has maintained that the BVAS device was introduced for the authentication and verification of voters and for the transmission of results from the polling units to the IReV portal.
  • Tinubu for his part has denied the allegations and argued that time does not run against crime, urging the tribunal to adopt the modern trend by leaning towards substantial justice.

Statistics:

  • Over N355 billion was deployed for the conduct of the election.
  • 18,088 blurred results were uploaded to INEC's IReV portal.
  • Tinubu allegedly forfeited the sum of $460,000 in the United States of America, being the proceeds of narcotic trafficking and money laundering.

Sources:

  • Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
  • Mr. Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP)
  • President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC)
  • Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)