Tribunal: Tinubu, Atiku, Obi Know Fate Today
…. Police Talk Tough, Warn Politicians Against Violence
… Labour Party Vows to Obey Outcome
By Aremu Sosanya
For millions of Nigerians and international observers, the wait for the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court is over with the cockcrow of Wednesday (today).
Salient Times report that with bated breath, many will stay glued to their digital devices for the televised live proceedings from the Tribunal venue at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, the nation’s political capital.
The curiosity mixed with anxiety is palpable from Port Harcourt in Southern Nigeria to Potiskum in the faraway Northern region and from Yola to Oyo as Nigerians turn their eyes to the judiciary for its verdict on the February 25, 2023, keenly contested presidential election.
Five justices to deliver judgments
How It Started
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) put the total valid votes cast in the election as a little above 24 million.
The electoral umpire said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, scored the highest number of votes — 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 6,984,520 votes.
The flag bearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
Tinubu and Atiku won 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states each, Obi clinched 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) while former Kano State Governor and candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, finished fourth, claiming victory in his state — Kano with 1,496,687 votes. The four candidates also secured significant numbers in several other states.
INEC subsequently declared Tinubu as the winner of the poll on March 1, 2023, a victory vehemently rejected by Atiku and Obi as well as their millions of supporters.
‘Go To Court’
Replying to his political opponents in his acceptance speech when he was declared the President-Elect, Tinubu asked them to go to court.
“I know some candidates will be hard put to accept the election results. It is your right to seek legal recourse. What is neither right nor defensible is for anybody to resort to violence. Any challenge to the electoral outcome should be made in a court of law, and not in the streets,” Tinubu had said.
Atiku and Obi as well as their respective parties cited some “anomalies” in the election including the “failure” of the commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV) to upload election results electronically as stipulated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Legal Fireworks
Atiku’s PDP and Obi’s LP, as well as three other dissatisfied political parties — Action Peoples Party (APP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Action Alliance (AA) thereafter filed separate petitions at the Presidential Election Petitions Court, seeking the annulment of Tinubu’s victory.
However, the APP and AA withdrew their petitions shortly as the Tribunal commenced hearing on May 8, 2023.
Amid the Tribunal hearing, Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima, were sworn in as President and Vice President respectively in Abuja on May 29, 2023, after the eight-year double tenure of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
At the Tribunal, the petitioners argued that Tinubu and Shettima were ineligible to contest the presidential election.
The petitioners contended that since Tinubu failed to secure 25 per cent of votes cast in the FCT. They also alleged that Tinubu was indicted for drug trafficking in the United States, and that his academic certificates submitted to INEC were forged, amongst others, claims that Tinubu’s lawyers condemned as false.
Also, Tinubu’s team of lawyers told the Tribunal to reject and throw out the submissions of the petitioners, arguing that the APC candidate won the poll and INEC was constitutionally correct to declare him as President-Elect.
Televised Proceedings
After months of adoption of written addresses and presentation of witnesses and evidence, a five-man panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani on August 1, 2023, reserved judgment in the matter.
About a month after, the Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Umar Bangari, on September 4, 2023, said the Tribunal would deliver its judgments on the cases before it challenged the victory of Tinubu.
The court also said the proceedings will be open to live broadcast by interested television stations.
In a sequel memo signed by Oluwaleye David, on behalf of the Chief Registrar of the court, staff members of the court were asked to stay at home to create a peaceful atmosphere during the Tribunal session.
Police Talk Tough
Gauging the mood of the country ahead of the Tribunal’s judgment, the Nigeria Police Force said that policemen across the country are “fully prepared” to maintain law and order.
In a statement on Tuesday by Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, the police warned politicians and mischief makers against misinformation and unguided utterances capable of inciting violence.
The police said deployment across the length and breadth of Nigeria has been strengthened to forestall law and order in the country.
“The Police wish to reiterate the commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property before, during, and after the judgment,” Adejobi said.
‘Dissatisfied Parties Free To Approach S’Court’
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has said that the unprecedented blackmail and intimidation facing the judiciary over the expected ruling of the Tribunal was unnecessary.
Femi Falana was a guest on Politics Today on Monday, September 4, 2023.
He said parties dissatisfied with the Tribunal’s eventual judgment still have the opportunity for an appeal at the Supreme Court.
“I am worried that people give the impression that everything ends with the judgement of the Court of Appeal, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Any party that loses on Wednesday still has the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court. So, what is the basis for the cheap blackmail that is going on?” the senior lawyer queried on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday.
‘Tinubu Not Worried’
The Tribunal’s judgment will be delivered while the President is away in New Delhi, India, for the G-20 Leaders’ Summit.
While Obi and Atiku’s camps have been mum since the Tribunal’s announced that judgment will be delivered today (Wednesday), the Presidency said that Tinubu is not worried about the outcome of the court.
“He (Tinubu) is not worried simply because he knows he won the election,” said presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Monday.
According to Ngelale, the President sees no need to threaten judicial officers, saying that the judiciary is in the best position to make independent decisions based on the merits of the case before it.
Labour Party Vows to Obey Outcome
The Labour Party has vowed to abide with the outcome of the tribunal
The Party in a statement issued by Dr Abayomi Arabambi warned those who will want to drag the country into unnecessary crisis to have a rethink.
LP has continued to watch with keen interest some unguarded statements by some individuals and groups claiming to be supporters of the Presidential Candidate of our great party, Mr Peter Gregory Obi.
The LP is a Party that is guided by strict adherence to the rule of law and good conduct, a unique endowment that has stood us out among other political parties in the country.
It’s very unfortunate that since the conduct of the last election, particularly the Presidential polls, various mudslinging and character assassination that continue to trail the outcome of elections from Our Supporters have continued to rob us of necessary sympathy that would have assisted LP to continue to grow in leaps and bounds.
The Party has been turned into a regional and ethnic bigot, you are always given unnecessary bashing and attacks if they see you giving constructive and candid advice.
Many of these unguarded statements and actions by the so-called Obidients reflect on the ways and manners the IPOB also operates, so one may be tempted to say that all those who say they were fighting for the ‘restoration’ of Peter Obis mandate, were recruits from the IPOB.
It’s unAfrican for anybody to be debasing Our leaders the way these Obidients were doing. Calling your President various unprintable names in the name of Politics, and trying to instigate the people against constituted authority.
As a Party we will not continue to tolerate this, Never in Our political history have we got it so bad as this. The need to caution our followers must be prioritised, or else, no sane individual will ever identify with us.
As we await the verdict from the tribunal, we urge all our good supporters to remain calm. Que sera sera, so says a popular cliche. Only God can anoint the King and if all builders build and God says no, what can we the ordinary mortals do?
We urged all Our supporters not to listen to the voice and reasoning of those routing for crisis. We know that they meant evil for the Country and we will not be part of their shenanigans.
He who fights and runs away lives to fight another time.
Labour Party will as a matter of principle accept whatever the outcome of the Tribunal and go back to the drawing board to re-strategise for a better outing next time.
Labour Party by this statement call on law enforcement agencies to continue to perform their constitutional roles by ensuring that all those that seem to be fomenting trouble are brought to book. Nigeria is bigger than an individual or group.
Also worrisome is Mr ABURE’s disposition to the decision of the presidential election petition tribunal to deliver the judgment via live coverage which ordinarily is the uncontroverted right of the tribunal to shame all the IPOB supporters of Julius Abure who are the real voices of ” All Eyes On The JUDICIARY”
It’s logical in the head that those political misfits and anarchists who kept attacking the integrity of the 5 panels of justices of their perceived beliefs that the tribunal would not be fair in their judgement could come out to condemn the decisions on Live coverage.
Labour Party under the Lamidi Apapa-led NWC want to emphasize that it is not the right of the people in a democracy to demonstrate violently in an attempt to intimidate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to overthrow a legitimate government through illegitimate means
We therefore urge the Inspector General of Police to arrest and prosecute any miscreants causing civil disobedience or engaging in an act capable of causing a breach of peace in the name of the Labour Party as they are not our members but the political wing of IPOB loyal to Julius Abure and the obligation of state security agents to protect the demonstrators and those not demonstrating.
We want Nigerians to note that Julius Abure has through the disjointed statements issued by his aides conceded defeat and he is already planning to appeal to the Supreme Court when he said and I quote “Meanwhile, we implore Nigerians to remain calm and peaceful, abide by the rule of law, and understand that this matter has not reached its logical and final conclusion.”
This has shown the reasons why they launched the unwarranted attack on the judiciary knowing full well the result from the inception
Labour Party by this statement call on law enforcement agencies to continue to perform their constitutional roles by ensuring that all those who seem to be fomenting trouble are arrested and brought to book using the full instrument of the Law
Nigeria is bigger than an individual or group.
