President Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged victorious on Wednesday as the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) dismissed all challenges raised by Peter Obi and the Labour Party against the outcome of the February 25th presidential election.
Led by Justice Simon Tsammani, the tribunal upheld the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
The central contention put forth by the Election Petition Labour was the assertion that INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) must electronically transfer presidential election results.
However, the tribunal ruled that the petitioners, Peter Obi and the Labour Party, failed to substantiate their claim.
According to the tribunal, when contesting that the winner of an election did not secure the majority of lawful votes cast, petitioners are required to provide evidence of two sets of results: the alleged lawful results and the ones they are challenging.
Furthermore, the tribunal dismissed the fraud case brought against President Tinubu by the Labour Party, asserting that it could not be proven. It was also noted that President Tinubu had been cleared of drug-related crimes in the United States.
In a significant clarification, the tribunal emphasized that Abuja is not granted special status, and securing 25% of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is not a prerequisite to becoming President.
Also, the tribunal highlighted that the Independent National Electoral Commission retains the autonomy to select its method of transmitting election results.
The tribunal’s decision rested on its evaluation of the evidence tendered by Peter Obi, which failed to establish his claim that glitches recorded by INEC, leading to the inability to upload presidential results, were deliberately manipulated to influence the outcome.
It was concluded that INEC substantially adhered to the provisions of the Electoral Act of 2022 in conducting the 2023 presidential election.
President Tinubu’s victory at the PEPT marks a significant milestone in the post-election legal process, providing clarity and validation to his presidential mandate.
