NIGERIA: Labour Party and PDP challenge presidential election results
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, is asking the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja, to declare him the winner of the February 25 poll or order a rerun between him and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Also,Peter Obi of Labour party asked for an order "cancelling the presidential election" and for the INEC to conduct a fresh vote because the election was filled with irregularities and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of breaching the law by failing to use electronic machines to upload polling station results, among other criticisms.
These are the key reliefs being sought in the petition filed for him and the main opposition PDP. They are challenging the election on four grounds which are not limited to claims the election of Tinubu, is invalid by reason of non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022. That his election as President-elect, Is invalid by reason of Electoral corrupt practices. The petition also stated that Tinubu was not duly elected by a majority of lawful votes cast at the election, and at the time of the election, he was not qualified to contest the election.
They are also praying to the court for the following:
*That it may be determined that the President-Elect was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast in the election and therefore the declaration and return of him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the winner of the presidential election, is unlawful, wrong, unconstitutional, and void and of no effect whatsoever.
*They also want it determined that the return of Tinubu by INEC, was unlawful, having not satisfied the requirements of the Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) which mandatorily requires that he to scores nothing less than one quarter (25 percent) of the lawful votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
*That it should be determined that Tinubu was, at the time of the election, not qualified to contest the said election.
*That it Should be determined that Atiku Abubakar, having scored the majority of lawful votes cast at the Presidential election, be returned as the winner of the said election and be sworn in as the duly elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the alternative, however, they are asking the court for an order directing INEC to conduct a second election (run-off) between Tinubu and Atiku.
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