National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Olatunde Oluwasola
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), located in Abuja, is ready to announce its verdict on three petitions aimed at annulling President Bola Tinubu’s election.
Ahead of the judgment date, the five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani has instructed all parties to appear tomorrow and present their final briefs of argument.
The court has invited the involved parties to adopt their written addresses concerning the petition filed against President Tinubu by a former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, as well as the one filed by the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
On March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election, surpassing 17 other candidates.
Discontented with the election’s outcome, both Atiku and Obi approached the court to challenge its validity, asserting their victory and questioning Tinubu’s eligibility to run.
The petitioners seek a declaration from the court that Tinubu did not obtain the majority of lawful votes cast during the election. They also request the withdrawal of Tinubu’s Certificate of Return issued by INEC. Alternatively, they ask for a fresh presidential election, excluding Tinubu on grounds of his alleged lack of eligibility.
According to the Electoral Act 2022, aggrieved candidates must file a petition before the court within 21 days of INEC’s result declaration, and the court will issue its judgment in writing within 180 days.
Additionally, Atiku Abubakar has rejected a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) forecasting Tinubu’s victory at the PEPC. The EIU is a think tank established in 1946, providing economic and political predictions worldwide.
The report states that Tinubu won the presidential election with 36.6% of the vote and expects the court’s decision to stand. Atiku urges the EIU to show respect for Nigeria’s democracy and judiciary and expresses disappointment over what he perceives as biased reports.
