Presidential election petition tribunal: Court reserve judgement for Obi and Atiku petition against Tinubu
Wia dis foto come from, Obi/Tinubu/Atiku
- Author, Tamara Ebiwei
- Role, BBC News Pidgin, Abuja
Di presidential election petition court wey sit for Abuja don reserve judgement for di petitions wey Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi bring against President Bola Tinubu.
Di five-man panel of judges reserve judgement afta dem adopt di written addresses on preliminary objections and final written addresses of di petitioners and respondents on Tuesday 1 August 2023.
Chairman of di presidential election petition court, Justice Haruna Tsamani say:
"Judgement dey reserved to a date wey we go communicate to una."
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi dey challenge di declaration of Bola Tinubu by di Independent National Electoral Commission, Inec as winner of di 25 February presidential election as dem allege say mago-mago for di election.
Adoption of preliminary objections
Di adoption of di preliminary objections and process start wit di first respondent wey be di Independent National Electoral Commission, Inec.
Counsel to Inec, Abubakar Mahmood, SAN during di presentation of im preliminary objections and final written address "pray di court to uphold di objections wey dem raise for dia written addresses".
Second respondent Bola Tinubu through im lead counsel Wole Olanipekun SAN pray di court to "uphold all preliminary objections, and remove all documents and exhibits wey dey for di records of di court wey dem object to".
End of Di one wey oda users dey read well well
Third respondent, di All Progressives Congress thru dia lead counsel Lateef Fagbemi SAN tell court to "uphold di objections, remove from di record and discountenance di affected documents."
Lead counsel to Atiku Abubakar, Chris Uche SAN pray di court to "overrule and dismiss di objections of di exhibits wey court don already admit sake of say e lack merit, and make court uphold di exhibits already admitted as evidence and use am to determine di petition."
Adoption of written addresses
Di five-member panel give di petitioners and respondents 20 minutes each to present dia written addresses.
Lead counsel to Inec, Abubakar Mahmood say di major part of di petition na non-compliance of di regulations and guidelines of di Electoral Act, 2022.
For im argument, im tok say di use of technology na major reform of di Electoral Act and all of dem agree on dis point.
Im explain say di use of technology bring about di introduction of di Bimordal Verification and Accreditation Systems, BVAS.
E also cover di application (how to use) Bvas wey include accreditation, authentication and transmission of results to Irev from di polling units and di good intentions of Inec to make election credible, free and fair.
Wia di disagreement dey na di collation and transmission of results.
Abubakar Mahmood highlight di following:
- No electronic collation system dey in place.
- Dem no disagree say glitch bin dey on election day but disagree on wetin cause di glitch and di consequence. "A glitch disrupt real time upload for four hours 30 minutes."
- Petitioners fail to establish human interference.
- Collation of results na still manual.
- Dem don explain di glitch beyond doubt say e no affect di outcome of di election.
- Electoral Act no change manual collation.
- FCT mata of 25 percent dey illogical and e dey contrary to di provisions of di court and section 299 of di constitution.
- For di purpose of section 134 make dem treat FCT as di 37th state.
Meanwhile, lead counsel to President Bola Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun, SAN tell court say Irev no get any role for di collation of results, and collation na physical and manual.
Im also highlight sometins say FCT na di 37th state for di purposes of Presidential election for Nigeria. Dem win one-third of di two-third votes for Abuja and say na of public interest if di court no overturn di decision of di electorate (pipo).
Meanwhile, APC lead counsel Lateef Fagbemi say all di issues wey di petitioners raise, court don address am for previous cases.
Atiku and Obi final written addresses
Lead counsel to PDP presidential candidate Chris Uche, SAN say di areas wey dem disagree wit Inec, Bola Tinubu and APC na di following:
- Di glitch wey happun no be technical glitch but na deliberate by-pass of di technology to aid dia manipulation.
- Di non-compliance of Inec dey deliberate.
- Di shutdown na nationwide e happun no be just some polling units and e create room for manipulation.
- No party dey empowered to add to di states by creating a 37th state (FCT)
- Time no dey run against crime so even if pesin commit crime over 20 years ago e go answer for am and e get consequences.
- Pray court to give value to di European Union, EU report about di election even though no be court judgement.
- Make court strike out di points of law, adopt di trends and make court give substantial justice and not technical justice.
- Even though no court for Nigeria don cancel election results before, make dem start am wit dis one.
- Meanwhile, lead counsel to Peter Obi, Livy Uzoukwu, SAN tell court say di respondent only make heavy issues out of wetin no dey inside Labour Party petition.
- Concerning di 18,088 blurred results wey LP tok say Inec upload for Irev, Inec lead counsel Abubakar Mahmood say Labour Party no prove say dem change anytin for di original copies.
