Election Tribunal: Peter Obi Responds To Objections Filed Against His Petition Challenging Tinubu’s Victory

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has responded to objections filed against his petition challenging the 2023 presidential poll in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared Bola Tinubu of All Progressive Congress (APC),  the president-elect.

Recall, Obi who came third in the election, alleged that the election was characterised by various irregularities including the non-qualification of Mr Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima to contest the election.

He also alleged that Mr Tinubu failed to win the majority of the lawful votes cast in the election, and just as he could not secure one-quarter of the lawful votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

He also alleged that the election was conducted in substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

But INEC, Tinubu and his political party, the APC, had entered objections, asking the Tribunal to dismiss Obi’s petition for abuse of court process.

But in replies dated April 20, Obi’s legal team led by Dr Livy Ozoukwu SAN, maintained that his petitions are well grounded to lawfully overturn the 2023 presidential election results announced by INEC.

More so, in a bid to maximize time, Obi’s team in a letter to the Secretary of the Presidential Election Court, dated April 21, asked for the “issuance of pre-hearing notice” in respect of his petition.

As seen in the letter, the court issued the pre-hearing form to him and the respective parties.

Obi wants to show the court how INEC disobeyed its orders by refusing to avail him of all electoral materials used during the presidential poll.

As contained in the form seen by our correspondent, Obi intends to argue during the pre-hearing session that: “Applications for subpoena, objections, enforcement of an order of the court not obeyed by INEC and other applications arising in the course of the hearing.”

It gathered that the Court of Appeal leadership may set the date for sitting before the end of April as pre-hearing and full hearing sitting may commence next month.

It is observed that renovation work has begun at the court where the proceedings will be held.