Nigeria Nervously Awaits Verdict: Election Tribunal's Decision on Presidential Winner

Nigeria awaits tribunal verdict on presidential election dispute

By Temple Ogbonna.

Nigeria is on edge as the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) prepares to deliver its verdict on the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The tribunal, which has been sitting for months, is expected to announce its judgment on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, according to jaratvent.

The petitions were filed by Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) and Abubakar Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who alleged that there were widespread irregularities and malpractices in the election, which they claimed affected the outcome of the vote.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State and a prominent leader of the APC, secured 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku, a former vice president, who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, who polled 6,101,533 votes.

In May, the tribunal merged the petitions submitted by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Atiku and Obi and reserved judgment on them.

The petitioners are seeking various reliefs from the tribunal, including the nullification of Tinubu’s election and the declaration of either Atiku or Obi as the rightful winner of the election.

They also contended that Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima were not eligible to contest the presidential poll because of their alleged dual citizenship and forged academic certificates.

They further argued that Tinubu failed to secure 25 percent of votes cast in the federal capital territory (FCT), which they said was a constitutional requirement for a valid election.

The respondents in the petitions are Tinubu, Shettima, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They have all denied the allegations and urged the tribunal to dismiss the petitions for lacking merit.

They also maintained that Tinubu was duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast in the election and that he met all the constitutional requirements for his election.

The legal teams of both sides have expressed confidence in their cases and in the ability of the tribunal to deliver justice.

Tinubu’s lawyer Yusuf Ali said he was hopeful of victory.

He said: “We pray for success at the end of the day. Cases are conducted in court and not in media, either social or mass media. The court listens to facts and applies the law.”

Atiku’s lawyer Mike Ozekhome urged the tribunal to dispense justice on the matter.

He said: “Not for judgment date yet. I expect justice to be done. I expect the tribunal to shun blaring sirens of power or executive intimidation to do justice. I expect the tribunal to know that Nigerians, international community and indeed whole world are watching.”

Obi’s lawyer Levi Uzoukwu also appealed to the tribunal to uphold his client’s petition.

He said: “We have presented our case with credible evidence and we believe that justice will be done. We are not afraid of any manipulation or interference. We trust in God and in our judiciary.”

The verdict of the tribunal is not final as any aggrieved party can appeal to the Supreme Court within 21 days.

The outcome of the tribunal may have far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s democracy and stability as well as for Tinubu’s presidency.

Many Nigerians are anxious about possible violence or unrest that may erupt after the judgment.

Some political leaders have called for calm and peace among their supporters and urged them to accept whatever decision is made by the tribunal.

One of them is Prince Saviour Igbinedion, a governorship candidate of Lagos State under LP platform.

He tweeted: “JUDICIARY, WE NIGERIANS WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY FORM OF MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE on 6th of September. Follow what constitution says and give judgment based on our constitution. We must save our democracy and constitution.”

Jaratvent appeals to all Nigerians to remain peaceful and law-abiding on Wednesday and respect whatever verdict is delivered by tribunal.

We also urge security agencies to be vigilant and professional in maintaining order and protecting lives and property.

We will bring you live updates and analysis of tribunal judgment as it happens.

Stay tuned to Jaratvent for more news and information on Nigeria’s presidential election dispute.