In a significant development, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), also referred to as the tribunal, situated in Abuja, is set to deliver its verdict on Wednesday regarding petitions aimed at invalidating the election of President Bola Tinubu.
These two petitions, bearing the marks CA/PEPC/05/2023 and CA/PEPC/03/2023, were presented before the court by former Vice President and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as well as the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
The panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, consisting of five members, gave the green light for judgment on August 1 after all parties concluded their final arguments.
During their closing statements, Atiku and the PDP, represented by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, implored the court to declare President Tinubu ineligible for the presidential election held on February 25. They further urged the presidential election tribunal to nullify the entire election outcome and call for a rerun or a fresh contest.
Atiku and his party alleged that despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) receiving over N355 billion for the election, INEC deliberately avoided implementing the technological advancements introduced for the 2023 general elections. They argued that INEC’s failure to electronically transmit the presidential election results constituted a breach of the amended Electoral Act.
They emphasized the importance of the electoral innovation, aimed at enhancing transparency in result collation and result declaration integrity. They presented video evidence showing that INEC Chairman acknowledged the available options. Their contention was that the substantial funding allocated to the election, coupled with the absence of technical glitches on election day, indicated a deliberate bypass of technology to facilitate manipulation.
The case highlights the need for a judicial ruling to ensure compliance with the provisions of the new Electoral Act.
