Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in Nigeria’s February 25 election, was absent in court on Wednesday as the Election Petitions Tribunal began hearing his case challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
Obi was represented by the party’s chairman, Julius Abure, who told the court that the former governor of Anambra state was out of the country on “official assignment.”
The tribunal is being chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani and has four other members: Justices Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.
The petition, which was filed on March 8, alleges that there were widespread irregularities and malpractices in the election, including the use of fake voters’ cards, ballot box stuffing, and intimidation of voters.
Obi is seeking a declaration that he was the rightful winner of the election and an order for Tinubu’s victory to be nullified.
The hearing is expected to last for several weeks.
Background
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu the winner of the election with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.
Obi and Atiku have both challenged the election results in court. Atiku’s petition is being heard by a different tribunal.
Analysis
Obi’s absence in court on Wednesday is a setback for his case. It will be difficult for him to win the case if he is not present to present his evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
However, Abure is a seasoned lawyer and he is likely to do a good job of representing Obi in court.
The outcome of the case is uncertain. It is possible that the tribunal will uphold Tinubu’s victory, or it could invalidate the election and order a new one to be held.
The case is being closely watched by Nigerians, who are eager to see whether the courts will be able to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the will of the people is respected.
Obi was represented by the party’s chairman, Julius Abure, who told the court that the former governor of Anambra state was out of the country on “official assignment.”
Justice Haruna Tsammani chairs the tribunal and has four other members: Justices Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.
Read also Abure optimistic about Peter Obi’s victory at presidential tribunal
The petition, filed on March 8, alleges widespread irregularities and malpractices in the election, including using fake voters’ cards, ballot box stuffing, and intimidation of voters.
Obi is seeking a declaration that he was the rightful winner of the election and an order for Tinubu’s victory to be nullified.
The hearing is expected to last for several weeks.
Background
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu the election winner with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.
Obi and Atiku have both challenged the election results in court. A different tribunal is hearing Atiku’s petition.
Analysis
Obi’s absence in court on Wednesday is a setback for his case. It will be difficult for him to win the case if he is not present to present his evidence and cross-examine witnesses.
However, Abure is a seasoned lawyer, nd he will likely do an excellent job presenting Obi in court.
The outcome of the case is uncertain. ItThe tribunal mayphold Tinubu’s victory, or it could invalidate the election and order a new one to be held.
Nigerians are closely watching the case, eager to see whether the courts can uphold the rule of law and ensure that the people’s wills are respected.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
