The long-awaited Nigeria’s Presidential Electionetition Tribunal Judgement was finally delivered in Abuja on Wednesday, on cases contesting the election of President Bola Tinubu. The opposition’s accusations of fraud in the closely watched election on February 25th have created controversy across the Country.
Blurred INEC Certified Result Sheet Evidence
In a significant development, Wednesday’s Nigeria tribunal judgment dismissed the Labour Party’s evidence of 18,088 blurred results certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The tribunal argued that these results did not indicate the specific polling units they originated from, thereby weakening the party’s claims.
Tribunal Judgement on Shettima’s Double Nomination
Furthermore, the tribunal ruled that Shettima’s double nomination cannot disqualify him from participating in the electoral process. The Punch quotes the tribunal as saying Shettima’s nomination for both senator and vice president positions was not intentional, as he did not have the intention of simultaneously running for both positions. Thus, the tribunal believed that Shettima should not face disqualification based on this technicality.
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Forensic Report
Additionally, the tribunal went on to dismiss the forensic report presented by Professor Eric Ofuegbu, a mathematics professor at Nnamdi Azikiwe University. The tribunal argued that the Labour Party should have provided this evidence at the time of initial filing so that the respondents could have had access to them ahead of proceedings. Moreover, the judge highlighted that some of the Labour Party’s evidence was submitted late and appeared to be motivated by personal interest, further weakening their case.
Obi’s Contested Membership
Regarding the contested membership of Obi within the Labour Party, the tribunal ruled in his favor. The respondents had argued that Obi was still a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and should not be allowed to claim membership within the Labour Party. However, the court determined that Obi and the Labour Party had satisfied the necessary requirements and certified that Obi was indeed a member. Consequently, the grounds for rejecting Obi’s membership were overruled.
25% in the FCT
Addressing the issue of Abuja’s special status as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Tsammani emphasized that the FCT does not hold any special status and does not have specific voters separate from the rest of Nigeria. As a result, the tribunal dismissed the argument that 25% of the FCT was required for validation, as it lacked legal basis.
Tinubu’s Drug Case
Jerrymusa.com reports that, with regard to the fine of $460,000 for narcotics, the tribunal ruled that the sentence of the crime under section 37(d), which involves dishonesty or fraud, must be a criminal offense. The Labour Party failed to provide evidence supporting the notion that forfeiture of the amount was a criminal act. Conversely, the respondents successfully proved that the forfeiture was not criminal, resulting in the dismissal of the fine.