Election: Obi, LP tender results from wards in 17 states as evidence at the PEPC

.Court dismisses case against Tinubu over 25% FCT votes

Chigozie Ikpo, Abuja

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja, has admitted as evidence, election results from seventeen states tendered by the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, Mr. Peter Obi, in pursuance of his case.

The Labour Party yesterday, tendered results obtained from polling units, in a total of eight states as evidence in their petition as they choose to argue on results from 18 states.

In Tuesday's proceedings, Counsel for LP, Ben Anichebe (SAN) tendered INEC Certified True Copies (CTC) of results from 17 states including Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Kaduna and Oyo, Cross River, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Lagos.

Anichebe told the court that the EC8B forms are supposed to be 18, but that of Ebonyi state is not ready yet and promised to start with it on the next hearing date.

The documents which are Forms EC8B, are election results from various wards were admitted as exhibits to be used to establish their alleged riggings and other malpractices during the election.

Breakdown of the forms EC8Bs admitted include CTCs from 21 Local Governments Areas (LGAs) of Adamawa, 8 LGAs of Bayelsa, 23 LGAs of Benue, 21 LGAs of Kogi, 11 LGAs of Nassarawa, 25 LGAs of Niger, 18 LGAs of Ondo, 23 LGAs of Sokoto, 25 LGAs of Delta, 11 LGAs of Ekiti, 25 LGAs of Imo, 21 LGA's of Kaduna, 27 LGAs of Oyo, 18 LGAs of Cross River state, 15 LGAs of Edo, 31 LGAs of Akwa Ibom and 20 LGAs of Lagos State

Counsels for the respondents, Stephen Adehi (SAN) representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igbokwe (SAN) representing Tinubu and Shetimma and Prof Lawan Yusufari (SAN) for the All Progressives Congress all opposed to the admissibility of the documents.

Presiding Justice of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani after admitting all the documents as exhibits, adjourned till Wednesday June 7 for further hearing.

Meanwhile, A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed a suit filed by five residents of the Federal Capital Territory, who prayed to the court to halt the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as president.

The five applicants —Anyaegbunam Okoye, David Adzer, Jeffery Ucheh, Osang Paul and Chibuike Nwachukwu—identified themselves as registered voters of the FCT.

The five residents in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/578/2023, urged the court to stop the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, any other judicial officer and/or any other authority or person from swearing in any candidate in the February 25 presidential election as President or Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The suit read in part, "A declaration that no state of the country is at the same time the FCT for any purpose whatsoever, including, in particular, under section 134 (2) (b) of the Constitution.

"A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country may validly be declared elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without that candidate obtaining at least 25% of the votes cast in the FCT, Abuja.

"A declaration that no candidate in the February 25 presidential election may validly be sworn in as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, without such candidate having obtained 25% of the votes cast in FCT, Abuja.

"A declaration that following the February 25 presidential election and until a successor is determined in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and sworn in, the term of office of his Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCON, as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria subsists and endures in accordance with the provisions of section 135 (1) (a) of the Constitution".

It added that this should remain until it is judicially determined with finality or in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution that such candidate has fulfilled the requirement of Section 134(2) (b) of the Constitution.

The suit which cited the Attorney-General of the Federation as the first respondent and the CJN as the second respondent in the matter also demanded "an order setting aside or suspending any declaration and/or issuance of a Certificate of a Return to any candidate in the February 25 presidential election in the country as having been elected, save and except it is judicially determined with finality that such candidate fulfilled the conditions stated in section 134(2) (b) of the Constitution.