Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and his Labour Party, LP counterpart, Peter Obi, have rejected Wednesday’s court.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal had on Wednesday September 6, 2023, declared Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s duly elected president.
The Labour Party also criticized the judgment, stating that it did not align with the “desires of the people.”
They vowed to appeal the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Court at the Supreme Court, the final authority in presidential election disputes.
In a unanimous ruling, the five-member panel of the court, led by Haruna Tsammani, dismissed the petitions of the opposition candidates, citing their inability to substantiate their cases.
The court also dismissed a third petition by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) as unmeritorious.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja after the tribunal’s pronouncement, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said the judgment did not reflect the law and the people’s desires.
Atiku and Mr. Peter Obi announced their intention to challenge the tribunal’s judgment at the Supreme Court. Both candidates’ respective lawyers Chris Uche and Livy Uzoukwu, expressing their clients’ dissatisfaction with the decision.
They emphasized the importance of preserving electoral jurisprudence to ensure the integrity of future elections.
The panel assured that certified copies of the judgment would be provided to all parties.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima praised the court’s decision as a triumph of democracy, affirming their commitment to fulfilling electoral promises.
