Any Rerun Poll Should Be Between Me and Atiku, Tinubu Tells Court

 

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to justices of the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) in Abuja to exclude the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, and his party in the event of any rerun presidential election, claiming that only him and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, are constitutionally qualified to recontest.

Tinubu argued that if the justices void the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Obi and his party will not be qualified to recontest.But Obi urged the five-member panel of the PREPEC not to subvert the will of the people as expressed in the February 25 presidential election, stressing that they should sack Tinubu without further delay. 

Tinubu faulted both Obi and LP for asking the court to cancel the election and compel the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh poll in which he (Tinubu), Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not participate.He argued that should the relief be granted, Obi and LP would not derive any benefit, having been constitutionally barred from contesting the rerun election.President Tinubu’s submissions were contained in his final written address in response to the petition of Obi and the LP challenging his declaration as president.The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had on March 1, declared Tinubu the winner of the February 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes while Atiku and Obi reportedly scored 6,984,520 votes and 6,101,533 votes, respectively. 

While citing alleged issues of substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws, corrupt practices, non-qualification amongst others, Obi and LP on one hand, as well as Atiku and PDP on the other hand, had in their petitions, asked the court to nullify the election.Both Obi and Atiku are laying claim to victory on the grounds that each of them scored a majority of lawful votes cast at the poll.Alternately, they urged the court to order for a re-run election to decide the authentic winner of the poll. 

‘‘Therefore, however burdensome, let the majesty of the constitution reverberate across the lengths and breadths of our hills and mountains; let it serenade our households from the trees; let it sprout from our institutions learning; let it toll from our sanctums of prayer; and to those who bear the responsibility of leadership, let it be a constant irritant,'” Obi and LP told the panel.

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