Declare me winner!

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*LP presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi formally files petition against APC’s Tinubu

*Prays Election Petition panel to declare him winner of February 25 poll

*Insists at time of election, Tinubu/Shettima were not qualified for the contest

*That for failure to score 25% of votes cast in FCT, Tinubu wouldn’t have been declared winner

By Kenneth Atavti

Legal Fireworks for the number one seat has officially kicked off with three out of the 18 political parties that participated in the February 25 presidential poll, officially filing their individual petitions against the outcome of the election held on 25 February, 2023.

Amongst those aggrieved with the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as winner of the presidential election are the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi; Action Alliance (AA) and its presidential candidate Mr Solomon Okangbuan, and Allied People’s Movement (APM) and its presidential candidate, Princess Chichi Ojei.

In the separate suits marked CA/PEPC/01/2023; CA/PEPC/03/2023 and CA/PEPC/04/2023; Obi, Okangbuan and Ojei, are respectively challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election on grounds of substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The petitioners also alleged that the February 25 presidential election was characterized by huge irregularities and electoral malpractices following INEC’s failure to electronically upload results immediately from its polling units to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV).

While INEC is the 1st respondent, Tinubu, his Vice-president elect, Kashim Shetima and the APC are 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.

Besides non-compliance, Obi and the Labour Party in their petition are claiming that at the time of the presidential election held on February 25, 2023 Tinubu and Shettima were not qualified to contest the election.

“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 2,3 respondents.

“That it be determined that on the basis of the remaining votes after discountenancing the votes credited to the 2,3 respondents the 1st petitioner scored a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and had not less than 25% in each of at least 2/3 of the States of the Federation and the Federal capital Territory, Abuja and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of February 25, 2023 Presidential Election.

“That it be determined that 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 Saturday February 25, 2023”, the submitted.

“That it be determined that at the time of the Presidential Election held on 25th February, 2023, the 2nd and 3rd Respondents was not qualified to contest the election.

“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 2″d and 3rdRespondents.

“That it be determined that on the basis of the remaining votes (after discountenancing the votes credited to the 2nd Respondent) the 1st Petitioner scored a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and had not less than 25% of the votes cast in each of at least 2/3 of the States of the Federation, and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the 25th February 2023 Presidential election.

“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 25th February 2023.

“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.

The Nigerian Pilot recalled that the National chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1, 2023 declared Tinubu president-elect on grounds that his party scored a majority of votes cast at the poll.

In the results announced Tinubu polled 8,805,835 votes to emerge victorious.

Former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who came second scored 6,984,640 votes, while Obi scored 6,101,533 votes.

Besides seeking that he be declared winner of the election on grounds that he is the authentic winner of the presidential election, Obi in an alternative prayer asked the tribunal to cancel the entire election and ordered INEC to conduct a fresh poll across the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory.