Top Stories

INEC To Tribunal: Tinubu Won 2023 Presidential Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has asked the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja to dismiss all the petitions challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

INEC had declared that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to win the election.

Advertisement

The commission declared that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, came second with 6,984,520 votes, while it announced Labour Party’s Peter Obi as the second runner-up with 6,101,533 votes.

But Atiku, Obi and some other parties rejected the results announced by INEC and heeded for the tribunal with prayers that the election should be nullified.

Advertisement

All the opposition parties challenging Tinubu’s victory joined INEC as a co-defendant.

In its defence to the various petitions, filed through its team of lawyers led by A. B. Mahmoud (SAN), INEC described Atiku’s petition as “grossly incompetent, vague and academic, saying it was an abuse of the court process.”

Advertisement

INEC affirmed that having scored at least one-quarter of the valid votes cast in 29 states, which is over and above the 24 states threshold required by the constitution in addition to scoring the highest number of the lawful votes cast at the election, Tinubu was properly declared winner and returned as the President-elect.

On the issue of Tinubu not winning the FCT, INEC argued that going by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, “the FCT has the status of a state and ought to be recognised as one of the states of the federation.”

Advertisement

INEC insisted that it declared Tinubu as winner of the election, considering that he “scored highest valid votes cast at the election and at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in not less than two-thirds of the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”

“The 1st respondent pleads and shall at the trial of this suit rely on all the Electoral Forms including but not limited to Forms ECSA, BCSB, ECSC, ECSD and ECBE used in the course of the Presidential Election held on the 25th day of February 2023,” INEC said.

Advertisement

“The FCT, beyond being the capital of Nigeria, has no special status over and above the other 36 states of the federation to require a candidate in the presidential election to obtain at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the FCT before being declared winner of the presidential election.

Advertisement
citynews

Recent Posts

Why Seyi Tinubu Can’t Be Lagos Governor- Igbokwe

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Joe Igbokwe, has said Seyi Tinubu, son…

11 hours ago

Simon Ekpa Not Our Member, Should Not Be Associated With Us- IPOB

IPOB PRESS RELEASE 22/11/2024 SIMON EKPA IS NOT AN IPOB MEMBER AND MUST NOT BE…

14 hours ago

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2024

NEWSPAPER HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2024. *PUNCH* Gombe begins N28bn Assembly, high court complexes…

15 hours ago

My husband assaulted me, ruined my career – Olajumoke Onibread

Former bread seller turned model, Olajumoke Orisaguna, popularly known as Olajumoke Onibread, has opened up…

18 hours ago

“I did not punch Akpabio” – Senator Bamidele speaks on alleged fight with Senate President

Senate Majority Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele has denies reports that he was involved in a fight…

18 hours ago

Speaker Obasa Clarifies Negative Perceptions As Sanwo-Olu Presents 2025 Budget

– says lawmakers united to meet yearnings of Lagosians – accuses detractors of peddling news…

18 hours ago