Presidential Election Tribunal: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Know Fate, Today

The die is cast and the stage is set for ruling over the petitions filed by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi, challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
After five months of legal fisticuffs, the Presidential Election Petition Court (Tribunal) will decide the fate of President Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku, and former Anambra State Governor, Obi, today.
The trio were the leading presidential candidates in the February 25, 2023 presidential poll.
While Tinubu, who was declared winner by INEC, ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku contested on the banner of the PDP and Obi flew the flag of the LP.
Atiku, Obi, PDP and LP separately want the court to nullify Tinubu’s election, award the victory to Atiku or Obi, and disqualify Tinubu.
There is also a third petition lodged against President Tinubu by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Specifically, APM contended that the withdrawal of Mr. Masari, who was initially nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC, invalidated Tinubu’s candidacy in view of Section 131(c) and 142 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Countering the petitioners, Tinubu, APC, and INEC urged the court to dismiss the petitions of the petitioners and affirm Tinubu’s election.
As it is, there are seven options before the court, namely:
Affirm Tinubu’s election on the ground that infractions observed during the polls were not enough to invalidate the outcome.
Disqualify Tinubu, nullify his election and declare Atiku winner.
Annul Tinubu’s election and declare Obi winner.
Cancel the elections and order a fresh poll among the 18 presidential candidates.
Cancel the elections and order a re-run between the best two.
Order a re-run between the first two highest scorers, Tinubu and Atiku
Order a re-run between Atiku and Obi if Tinubu is disqualified.
The five justices who will decide Tinubu, Atiku and Obi’s fate today include four men and one woman.
They are Justice Haruna Tsammani, Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal and head of the panel; Justice Stephen Adah, Court of Appeal (Asaba Division); Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Court of Appeal (Asaba Division); Justice Moses Ugo, Kano Division; and Justice Abba Mohammed, Ibadan Court of Appeal.Presidential Election

By: Boye Salau