Obi and Atiku begin battle to overturn Tinubu's victory in the presidential election
With the 2023 presidential election now concluded, the battle has shifted to the Court, where the candidates of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, are attempting to overturn Bola Tinubu's
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the winner of the Feb. 25 election.
According to the results read out by INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes, defeating his closest rivals and candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, who received 6,984, 520 and 6,101,533 votes, respectively.
Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, received 1,496,687 votes, while all other political parties combined received 666,298 votes.
Tinubu was also said to have received the required 25% of votes from 24 states under the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.
However, the LP and the PDP have both claimed victory, claiming that they each won the election.
The ruling party has also sided with both the LP and the PDP on issues.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal resumed major legal fireworks on Wednesday, with the court issuing a variety of rulings.
Obi of the LP had sought an injunction to prevent INEC from reconfiguring the BVAS used in the election. The party hopes to use the BVAS to prove its case in court. However, INEC rejected the application, claiming that it would have an impact on the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
However, the court ruled that the INEC should proceed with reconfiguring the BVAS. It based its decision on the INEC's claim that the action would have no effect on the data on the BVAS, which it claimed was already on its central server.
Sam Hart, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, summarized the ruling as follows:
"A win-win situation for both INEC and LP. Both requests were granted.
"INEC assures the Court that BVAS reconfiguration will not wipe data because it is saved in the server back end.
"Judgment: LP - Inspect records;
"INEC - Reconfigure BVAS for March 11."
Head of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Digital Media, speaking to DAILY POST about the LP candidate's chances of reclaiming his alleged stolen mandate in court. Barr, Tony Ehilebo, stated that the LP and its candidate must provide sufficient evidence that they won the election, particularly the 25% requirement from 24 states and the FCT.
"Well, you never know what a man has in his arsenal when he comes out and declares war openly. Even the person he is fighting does not know what weapons he has in his arsenal. All you have to do is keep an eye on things. "We'll have to wait and see," he said.
When you say you won the election, which states did you say you won the required 25% of? In any case, I still think it was a fantastic run for him in such a short period of time.
"I believe the case is more in favor of INEC's substantial compliance.
"Did INEC follow its guidelines, which it repeatedly stated would be the guidelines for the election? You are not above the law simply because you are an umpire. Even the Supreme Court, as powerful as it is, is bound by the laws of the land," he added.
Meanwhile, the Court on Wednesday granted Tinubu, the President-elect, direct access to the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) server to inspect.
In a ruling on Tinubu's ex-parte application, the court ordered the electoral body to allow the President-elect to make photocopies of documents during the inspection.
The ruling was delivered by Justice Joseph Ikwegh, who stated that he was satisfied that Tinubu's request to access, inspect, and make photocopies of documents required for his whatever purpose was justified.
Justice Ikwegh ruled that the President-elect is entitled to access to the INEC server as well as photocopies for use in defending his election against any petition.
