Breaking: Tribunal Delivers Judgment in Atiku, Obi’s Petition against Tinubu Wednesday

Alex Enumah in Abuja

One month and four days after it concluded hearing in two separate petitions filed by presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, challenging the declaration of Senator Bola Tinubu as President, the Presidential Election Petition Court, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal will on Wednesday deliver its judgement.

This was confirmed Monday morning by the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Mr Umar Bangari, although he noted that a statement to that effect would soon be issued to journalists.

Recall that the five-member panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, had on August 1, announced that the date for judgment in the two petitions would be communicated to parties, shortly after all parties adopted their final written addresses for and against the petitions.

Besides the petitions of Atiku and Obi, the presidential tribunal would also deliver judgment in the petition by the Allied People’s Movement (APM), seeking the disqualification of Tinubu from the February 25 presidential election on account of alleged unlawful nomination of the vice presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

Confirming the judgment date to our correspondent in Abuja, Bangari also assured that adequate security has been put in place, adding that only the invited members of political parties and the general public would be allowed into the court room to avoid congestion and security breaches.

In addition, he observed that media houses interested in broadcasting the proceedings live at no cost to the Court are welcomed.

Both Atiku and Obi in their respective petitions are claiming victory of the February 25 presidential poll, won by Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Tinubu winner of the presidential poll, on the grounds that he won majority of the lawful votes cast at the polls.

According to the Commission, Tinubu polled a total of 8,794,726 lawful votes to emerge victorious. He was closely followed by Atiku, with a score of 6,984,520 and Obi 6,101,533 votes to come 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Displeased with the declaration Atiku and Obi had approached the court to argue and prove that Tinubu did not win majority of lawful votes as claimed by the electoral umpire. They submitted that as it the time Mahmood announced Tinubu as winner, collation was ongoing since many of the presidential election results were yet to be uploaded unto the INEC’s Results Viewing (IReV) Portals.

 They also accused INEC of manipulating the process to favour the ruling APC and Tinubu.

Besides the grounds of substantial non-compliance upon which the petitioners are seeking the nullification of the presidential poll, others are that INEC violated the law when it declared Tinubu who did not score 25% of votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as winner, in addition to claims that Tinubu was not qualified to contest on account of alleged forfeiture of the sum of $460,000 to the United States of America over alleged complicity in drug related offences.

Details later.