LP dismisses tribunal’s verdict, vows to continue fight against Tinubu’s victory
The Labour Party (LP) has rejected the judgments of the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC) in their petitions challenging President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory.
Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the February 25, 2023 poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In a statement, Labour Party spokesman Obiora Ifoh expressed dissatisfaction with the court’s rulings, stating that justice was not served in the party’s petitions against the APC and Tinubu.
The party intends to announce its next course of action after consulting with its lawyers, pending the receipt of the Certified True Copy of the judgments.
The party contends that the court’s judgment “did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.”
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The statement further reads, “Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned, but the Tribunal, in its wisdom, refused to accept the obvious.”
“What is at stake is democracy, and we will not relent until the people prevail,” the statement added.
The party commended its team of lawyers for their unwavering commitment to exposing flaws in the system and emphasized their refusal to give up on Nigeria.
Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with their lawyers following the availability of the Certified True Copy of the judgment.
The Tribunal, in its verdict, described the LP’s and its presidential candidate Peter Obi’s petitions as “unmeritorious.”
Obi and the Labour Party had contested that President Bola Tinubu was not duly elected during the February 25, 2023 poll.
Regarding the LP’s argument that Tinubu should not be declared the winner due to scoring less than 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and not being duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast, the Tribunal deemed this argument “ridiculous.”
The five-man panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, considered the directive of state policy and the constitution’s preamble, which advocates for the equality of citizens.
They held that, according to the provisions of Section 134 (2a) of the constitution, scoring 25 per cent in the FCT in a presidential election is not mandatory. The court ultimately declared the LP‘s petition as clearly unmeritorious.
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