The Presidential Election Tribunal is set to commence the hearing of petitions filed by opposition parties today, Monday, May 8. The petitions were filed in response to the election of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect. Tinubu, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the February 25 presidential poll. However, several defeated candidates approached the court, alleging electoral fraud in favor of the ruling party.
One of the key petitioners is Atiku Abubakar from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Atiku’s petition is based on five grounds, seeking a fresh election due to alleged irregularities at polling units during the presidential poll. Atiku and his party argue that Tinubu was declared the winner before the transmission and uploading of results and accreditation data from polling units by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Pete Obi, a former governor from the Labour Party, is also alleging various irregularities in the election. He claims that Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, were not qualified to contest. Obi further asserts that Tinubu failed to secure the majority of lawful votes and did not obtain one-quarter of votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
During the pre-hearing session today, the Court is expected to provide a detailed timetable for the substantive petitions against the President-elect at the election tribunal. This will determine the timeline for the subsequent hearings.
Amidst the legal proceedings, there have been allegations involving foreign lawyers. Festus Keyamo, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, claimed that foreign lawyers were flown into the country with the aim of preventing Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29. Additionally, Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the ruling party, accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of contracting foreign lawyers for Peter Obi. However, the Chief Spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, Dr. Yunusa Salisu Tanko, refuted these claims, stating that all members of Obi’s legal team are Nigerians.
Tanko expressed optimism regarding the outcome of the process, emphasizing that their candidate’s presentations would be faultless. He conveyed confidence that their evidence and arguments would stand up to scrutiny during the proceedings.
As the Presidential Election Tribunal begins its hearing, the outcome of these petitions holds significant implications for the electoral process and the future of Nigerian politics.