Peter Obi Officially Files Petition To Tribunal Four Weeks After Presidential Poll

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, has formally filed a petition with the elections tribunal to contest the results of the election on February 25.

Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the chief spokesperson for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, revealed this in a statement.

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The statement read, “It is official the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has filed his petition to the presidential elections tribunal in Abuja. The process of reclaiming the people’s mandate has started.”

Obi’s petition is coming four weeks after the contentious presidential and National Assembly elections that produced the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Although Tanko did not reveal why it took his principal this long to file the petition, a source within the party disclosed that the former governor of Anambra State wanted to properly collate materials to back up his claim of massive rigging, voters intimidation and corruption allegation against the electoral umpire.

“You know Obi doesn’t like talking without getting facts. That’s why he took his time before he officially filed his case at the tribunal,” he said.

Recall that Tanko last Tuesday said that the lawyers of the LP presidential candidate were making progress with their inspection of electoral data after they were granted access to gather some relevant information from the materials supplied.

He said this after the legal team met with Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who pledged to grant the team access to the materials.

Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, the head of the legal delegation, urged the commission to make the election materials available immediately at the parley because the team was running out of time to file its petition contesting the results of the presidential election. She was accompanied by 60 lawyers.

READ THE 5 PRAYERS IN FULL

The Petitioners, therefore, seek the following Reliefs from this Honourable Court:

1. (i) That it be determined that at the time of the Presidential Election held on 25th February, 2023, the 2nd and 3rd Respondents (Tinubu and Shettima) were not qualified to contest the election.

(ii) That it be determined that all the votes recorded for the 2nd respondent in the election are wasted votes, owing to the non-qualification/disqualification of the 2nd and 3rd respondents.

(iii) That it be determined that on the basis of the remaining votes (after discountenancing the votes credited to the 2nd Respondent) the 1st petitioner (Mr Obi) scored a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and had not less than 25 per cent of the votes cast in each of at least 2/3 (two-third) of the states of the federation, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the 25 February 2023 presidential election.

2. That it be determined that the 2nd Respondent having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the presidential election in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.

IN THE ALTERNATIVE TO 2 ABOVE:

3. An order cancelling the election and compelling the 1st Respondent to conduct a fresh election at which the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents shall not participate.

IN THE ALTERNATIVE TO 1, 2 AND 3 ABOVE:

4. (i) That it may be determined that the 2nd Respondent was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast in the election for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria held on 25 February 2023; and therefore, the declaration and return of the 2nd Respondent as the winner of the Presidential election are unlawful, unconstitutional and of no effect whatsoever.

(ii) 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.

(iii) 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.

(iv) 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.

FURTHER ALTERNATIVE TO 1, 2,3 AND 4 ABOVE:

5 (i) 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,

(ii) An order cancelling the’ Presidential Election conducted on 25th February 2023 and mandating the 1st Respondent to conduct a fresh election for the office of President, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.