Tinubu Vs Obi: 5 Things To Consider from the Petition

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu as President-elect in an election petition. He filed the petition at the presidential election tribunal in the Abuja court of appeal during the early hours of today.

Obi named the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, Shettima Kashim, the vice president-elect, and the APC as respondents in the petition.

Tinubu, the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the presidential election held on February 25 after securing 8,794,726 votes. Tinubu defeated Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who had 6,984,520 and Obi who polled 6,101,533.

Things you need to know about the petition

First, Obi through his lawyer Livy Ozoukwu submitted that Tinubu “at the time of the (presidential) election was not qualified to contest the election”. Secondly, Obi argued that the president-elect “was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Third, Obi and his party requested the tribunal to determine that all the votes recorded for Tinubu in the election “are wasted votes, owing to the non-qualification” of the president-elect and Shettima. He said, “Tinubu, having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the presidential election in the federal capital territory, Abuja was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.”

Fourth, the petitioners, Obi and the LP asked the tribunal to cancel the election through an order. Fifth, they requested that INEC be compelled to conduct a fresh election in which Tinubu and Shettima will not be allowed to participate. 

His petition comes 21 days after the declaration of the results of the election on 1 March. It is the last day he or any other aggrieved candidates and political parties had to file their petitions in court.