PEPT: Labour Party, Obi’s argument against Tinubu

As the Presidential Election Petition Court gears up to deliver judgements in the petitions filed by the Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and that of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, PoliticsNow will be summarizing the 5 prayers of Obi at the court against Bola Tinubu’s emergence as the country’s president.

The respondents to the petition, which was filed jointly by Obi and his party, are INEC, Tinubu, Shettima Kashim, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The five (5) prayers are as follows:

FCT Vote

Obi and LP asked the tribunal to rule that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) 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 February 25, 2023.

There has been an ongoing debate since Tinubu’s declaration as President whether the FCT should be treated as one of the states in the federation or conferred a special status for the purpose of election. Nigerians await the ruling of the justices in this matter.

Election cancellation

Obi and his party also asked the court to cancel the February 25 presidential election, claiming that “the Presidential election conducted on February 25th, 2023 is void on the ground that the election was not conducted substantially in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.”

Shettima’s double nomination

In addition to the election cancellation, the LP candidate asked the court to compel INEC to conduct a fresh election in which Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima would not participate.

Labour Party and Mr. Obi requested that the tribunal issue an order disqualifying Tinubu and his running mate, Shettima, from the new election, also known as a rerun.

“Kashim Shettima’s nomination as vice presidential candidate was flawed because he did not withdraw from his nomination as a senatorial candidate of his party before accepting to serve as Mr. Tinubu’s vice presidential candidate,” the LP flag-bearer claimed in the petition.

Tinubu’s eligibility to run for office

The petitioners argue that Mr Tinubu should not have been eligible to run for the top office due to his “ineligibility”.

Obi’s lead lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu in his submission, said the president “was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Also, Obi claimed that the APC candidate “was linked to drug trafficking by US court” leading to his eventual forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 to the American government, adding the latter is “not qualified to contest Nigerian presidency”.