By Tambaya Julius
In a bid to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, former presidential candidates representing the PDP and LP in the 2023 election, will make a significant legal stand at the Supreme Court.
Despite President Tinubu’s triumph with 8.8 million votes, defeating Atiku and Peter Obi, who secured 6.9 million and 6.1 million votes respectively on February 25, both Atiku and Obi have refused to accept the election results as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Instead, they are determined to challenge the results in court.
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) became the stage for this legal showdown, with Atiku, Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) all seeking the nullification of President Tinubu’s victory.
However, their petitions were dismissed, and President Tinubu’s victory was upheld in a unanimous judgment delivered on September 6.
The court ruled that the petitioners failed to substantiate their claims of malpractice or the President’s disqualification.
Now, the attention turns to the Supreme Court, where Atiku and Obi are mounting a formidable challenge against the PEPC judgment.
Atiku has based his appeal on 35 grounds, while Obi’s case is built on 51 grounds of contention.
Their primary objective is to overturn the PEPC’s ruling and nullify President Tinubu’s election.
The APM, although having minimal impact in the election, is also making an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge President Tinubu’s victory.
In a noteworthy development, Atiku seeks to introduce fresh evidence at the Supreme Court.
He aims to prove that President Tinubu submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for his election candidacy.
Atiku is presenting academic records of President Tinubu obtained from the Chicago State University on the order of Judge Nancy Maldonado of the District Court of Illinois, Eastern Division, Illinois, United States of America, on Monday, October 2.
President Tinubu, in response to Atiku’s move to introduce fresh evidence, has urged the Supreme Court to reject the application.
He argues that Atiku’s application is irrelevant to the pending appeal before the Supreme Court, as it does not arise from the record or judgment of the PEPC.
The President further calls for the dismissal of all appeals filed by Obi, Atiku, and the APC against the PEPC’s September 6 judgment.
Instead, he seeks affirmation of his victory in the February 25 election.
