Six PDP states ask Supreme Court to nullify Tinubu’s victory�

thecornetadmin March 3, 2023

0 2 minutes read

Six PDP-controlled states are asking the Supreme Court to nullify the February 25 presidential poll.

INEC had declared the ruling All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Tinubu the winner of the poll, after securing 8.8million votes but two of his opponents are asking for a cancellation of the results and a revote.

The litigant-states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Delta, Sokoto – all of which, except Edo, was won by outside candidate Peter Obi. Obi, the 2007 running mate to then and current PDP flag bearer Abubakar Atiku, declared during a press conference that he won the election and vowed to seek a legal redress.

In the suit, the litigant-states stated the conduct of the election contravened provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the Presidential Election.

The parties equally said INEC’s refusal to upload the results from polling units “were not in accordance with the provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the presidential election.

In addition, the parties are seeking a review of the results.

They are equally seeking that the court grant accelerated hearing of the suit and abridge the time for parties to file and serve responses for and against the suit.

The litigants argue that unless the Supreme Court intervenes, “the Governments and peoples of Adamawa State, Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Delta State, Edo State, and Sokoto State, who have suffered and will continue to suffer irreparable hardship and damage of unquantifiable proportions by being denied the opportunity to participate fairly in a free, transparent, fair and credible election, which can lead to a breakdown of law and order and thus endanger the public peace, security, safety, order and good governance.”