The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja is ready to deliver its judgment on the three petitions seeking to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election.
Before fixing the judgment date, the five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, has directed all parties to appear before it tomorrow to present their final briefs of argument.
The court invited the parties to adopt their written address regarding the petition against President Tinubu, filed by a former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as well as the one filed by candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi.
President Tinubu, representing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the presidential election held on February 25, with 8,794,726 votes, defeating the two major contenders, Atiku and Obi.
Dissatisfied with the election outcome, both Atiku and Obi approached the court to challenge its validity. They claimed to have won the presidential poll and questioned Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.
The petitioners seek the court to declare that Tinubu did not secure the majority of lawful votes cast in the election and request the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to him by INEC. Alternatively, they ask the court to order a fresh presidential election, excluding Tinubu, whom they argue was not qualified to participate in the poll.
Under the Electoral Act 2022, candidates aggrieved by the election outcome must file a petition within 21 days after the result is declared by INEC, and the court is required to deliver its judgment in writing within 180 days
