The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, on Wednesday, upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
The five-man panel of the Tribunal was led by Justice Haruna Tsammani.
This development followed petitions filed by the Peoples Democratic Party and its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the victory of Tinubu as the winner of the presidential election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on March 1.
Also read: Presidential Tribunal dismisses LP’s 25% FCT votes claim
The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, Wednesday, rejected 15 out of the 27 witnesses presented by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, for failing to establish his case against the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.
The Tribunal gave the verdict through one of the five-man panel, Justice Stephen Adah.
The Tribunal rejected the testimonies of the 15 witnesses on the grounds that the petitioner failed to file their statements on oath along with the petition.
It further stated that the petitioner could not file the statements on oath before the close of the 21-day window given from the date election result was announced.
Labour Party rejects Tribunal’s judgement
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has rejected the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court in the party’s petitions challenging the electoral victory of President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25, 2023 poll.
In a statement after the verdict of the Tribunal on Wednesday, LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said justice was not served in the petitions of the party against the APC and Tinubu.
He also said the Labour Party will make its next move known upon consultation with its lawyers after receiving the Certified True Copy of the judgments.
The party said the judgment of the court “did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.”
“Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious,” the statement partly read.
“What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the people will prevail.
“We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria.
“Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgment is made available to us.”
Tinubu accepts verdict
Revelling from the judgement, President Tinubu has assured Nigerians of his renewed and energised focus on delivering his “vision of a unified, peaceful and prosperous nation,” following the judgment by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.
In a statement issued on his behalf by Ajuri Ngelale, his spokesman, Tinubu welcomed the judgment of the tribunal, saying he welcomed it with an intense sense of solemn responsibility and preparedness to serve all Nigerians, irrespective of all diverse political persuasions, faiths, and tribal identities.
“The President affirms that his commitment to the rule of law, and the unhindered discharge of duties by the Tribunal, as witnessed in the panel’s exclusive respect for the merits of the petitions brought forward, further reflect the continuing maturation of Nigeria’s legal system, and the advancement of Africa’s largest democracy at a time when our democratic system of government is under test in other parts of the continent.”
“The President believes the Presidential Candidates and Political Parties that have lawfully exercised their rights by participating in the 2023 general elections and the judicial process, which followed, have affirmed Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
“The President urges his valiant challengers to inspire their supporters in the trust that the spirit of patriotism will now and forever be elevated above partisan considerations, manifesting into support for our Government to improve the livelihood of all Nigerians.
‘‘Once more, President Tinubu thanks Nigerians for the mandate given to him to serve our country while promising to meet and exceed their expectations, by the grace of God Almighty, and through very diligent hard work with the team that has been put in place for that sole purpose.”
