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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC), on Wednesday, upheld the victory of President Bola Tinubu at the February 25 presidential poll.
In a unanimous judgement delivered by the chairman of the five-member panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, the tribunal held that the petitioners– Atiku Abubakar and his party, Peoples Democatic Party (PDP); Peter Obi and his party, Labour Party and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) failed to prove the allegations in their petitions and subsequently dismissed them.
Here are seven reasons the tribunal dismissed the portions:
Double nomination of Vice President Kashim Shettima
The tribunal held that Vice President Kashim Shettima is eligible to contest the February 25 presidential poll, having withdrew from the Borno Central Senatorial District election before his nomination. Double nomination case against Shettima is Incompetent.
President Bola Tinubu’s academic qualification/certificate forgery
Tribunal held that President Bola Tinubu academically qualified to contest the presidential poll. Minimum requirements is Secondary School Ceetificate. The president presented a degree certificate and the petitioners failed to prove allegations of a certificate forgery against the president.
Forfeiture of $460,000 to US government
Tribunal held that President Tinubu’s $460,000 forfeited to US government was not a criminal case, but a civil forfeiture.
It said the petitioners failed to establish that the president was criminally charged, fined, convicted or served a prison sentence in the US.
The tribunal added that Tinubu was cleared of drug related crimes in the US, adding that even if it was a criminal conviction, the constitution only talked about 10 years within the time of conviction. Since the forfeiture happened in 1993, the president is qualified to contest the election.
25% in FCT
The tribunal held that residents of Abuja are not special. It said a candidate doesn’t need to score 25% in FCT to become president, adding that the constitution says 25% in two thirds of the 36 states. The tribunal stressed that FCT is treated like a state in this case.
Electronic transmission of results
The tribunal said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is at liberty to choose its method of transmitting results. It affirmed that INEC is independent and can therefore chose the method of transmission it deemed fit, saying, “no law mandates INEC to collate results electronically.” Tribunal added that failure to upload the photographic copies of polling unit results in real time did not invalidate the election
Non-compliance with electoral act, irregularities in the election
The PEPC said petitioners alleged irregularities but did not specify the areas and polling units where the irregularities took place. They failed to show where their votes where reduced and the number of votes affected.
Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of Labour Party did not prove how they won the presidential election.
It also held the petitioners failed to specify the polling units where they alleged that rigging took place, stressing that the petitioners failed to provide any credible evidence to prove their allegations of suppression of votes in their strongholds
President Bola Tinubu’s dual citizenship
On the issue of the president’s idual citizenship, the tribunal again held that it was incompetent and liable to be struck out and was indeed struck out.
EU Mission Observers Report on ElectionThe tribunal held that failure of the petitioners to subpoena the authors of the report for cross examination renders their observations irrelevant and invalid.
To my understanding one of the biggest problems Nigeria is facing today is our constitution nothing like amendment anymore we need to pull it down completely and start afresh it only favour the politicians. in game of football your hands must not touch ball ⚽ in box 18 either by mistake or intentionally that’s penalty but to my greatest surprise someone picked the ball with barely hand and trow inside net and refree shouting is a goal inec vowlate there law by themself and judges continue defending them that they have the right to change the goal post during the match but instead inec and Apc to defend themself in court to my greatest surprise it’s judges defending them but sha there’s God oh .