President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has warned the duo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) to stop blackmailing the judiciary.

Tinubu gave the warning through his Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who alleged that two political parties and their surrogates, whom he described as lawyers, clerics and some ethnic groups, had “mounted a desperate campaign for the postponement of the inauguration of the President-elect  on May 29.

He insisted that the 2023 election was the best and the most free, fair and transparent since the second republic.

In a statement issued via his Twitter handle yesterday, Onanuga tackled the emeritus Catholic Bishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan for his claim that the election was rigged, saying the claim was nothing but a lie and a malicious propaganda told repeatedly by the opposition parties and their supporters.

His statement is coming on the heels of the commencement of sitting by the presidential election petition tribunal yesterday.

The spokesman claimed that introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, made a significant difference in the 2023 elections, which he described as the best since the return to democracy in 1999.

Onanuga said those criticizing the electoral commission on account of the non-transmission of the results recorded at the polling units were being mischievous.

He insisted it was because “the outcome of the election, especially the presidential election did not match their expectation.”

“PDP and LP must stop the blackmail against the judiciary

“I have witnessed many elections since 1979 and I can say without any equivocation that the 2023 election was the best, the most free and fair, the most transparent.

“Those who are pillorying the election and INEC, the electoral umpire are simply saying so because the outcome of the election, especially the presidential election did not match their expectation.

“The Labour Party and the PDP and their surrogates, some of them lawyers, clerics and some ethnic groups have also mounted desperate campaigns for the postponement of the inauguration of the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 29 May.

“As the tribunal begins sitting today, let Labour and its senior partner, the PDP stop further blackmail of the judiciary. Enough is Enough,” the statement read in part.

Presidential Election Tribunal Dismisses AA Party’s Petition against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja yesterday dismissed one of the five petitions challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu in the 25 February poll.

A five-member panel of the court led by Haruna Tsammani dismissed the case after the petitioner’s lawyer announced its withdrawal.

It was the first among the five petitions received by the court to be called for hearing.

The court earlier held its inaugural sitting during which it assured all litigants that it would do justice to all parties to the case pending before it.

Lawyers, in response, gave their commitment to cooperate with the court.

The panel members went on a short break after the ceremonial opening of the court and returned to begin hearing AA’s case.

A confusion about the legal representative of the party ensued when the party’s case was called.

Oba Maduabuchi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, first announced appearance for the AA party. Another lawyer, Malachi Umuebe, also announced appearance for the party.

Mr Maduabuchi insisted that he was the party’s lawyer.

The court discountenanced Mr Umuebe since he was not the one who filed the petition before the court.

Shortly after the court recognised Mr Maduabuchi, the lawyer announced the withdrawal of the case.

The respondents’ lawyers – Wole Olanipekun, SAN, representing Mr Tinubu, and Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said they had no objection against the application for the withdrawal of the petition.

The court then dismissed the petition.

But the Action Alliance has urged the court to nullify the polls owing to alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload the name of its actual presidential candidate – Solomon-David Okanigbuan – to its portal for the February poll.

The National Chairman of Action Alliance, Adekunle Omo-Aje, had said in January that Hamza Al-Mustapha, recognised by INEC was not the authentic presidential candidate of the party.

He spoke against the background of the leadership tussle rocking his party, which gave rise to the emergence of two presidential candidates.

Tribunal Adjourns to May 10

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has adjourned its sitting to Wednesday, May 10, matters brought before it by the Labour Party and Peter Obi and that of the Action Peoples Party (APP), challenging the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

This was disclosed yesterday by one of the spokespersons for the Labour Party, LP, Kenneth Okonkwo,

“After a brief pre-hearing trial, the case was adjourned to Wednesday, 10th May 2023 at 2 pm prompt,” Okonkwo wrote.

The presidential election petition tribunal commenced proceedings in Abuja, yesterday.

Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi are challenging the declaration of Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as winner of the February 25 presidential poll.

Rejects Lalong as Tinubu’s Representative

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal has barred Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State from standing before it as the representative of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

The Plateau State Governor had stood up and announced himself as Tinubu’s representative immediately after the first petition lodged against the outcome of the 2023 presidential election was called up.

“My Lords, my name is Simon Lalong, and I am here to represent Tinubu,” the Governor stated.

However, Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel declined to recognize him as Tinubu’s representative.

“You cannot represent an individual. Tinubu is not a corporation that would need a representative,” the presiding justice held.

But Governor Lalong responded, “My Lords, in that case, I will represent the All Progressives Congress, APC.”

Tribunal Adjourns Sitting to Hear PDP, APM Petitions Today

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja, the nation’s capital has adjourned its sitting to today.

It also adjourned for the continuation of pre-hearing proceedings till Wednesday for the petition of the Labour Party and Peter Obi and that of the Action Peoples Party (APP).

Today’s proceedings will have the petitions of Atiku Abubakar and Allied People’s Movement in its schedule.

The commencement of the tribunal’s pre-hearing of the petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress polled 8,794,726 votes to win the election. While Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party came second with  6,984,520 votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party was third with 6,101,533 votes.

Having rejected the outcome of the polls, Atiku and Obi approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to annul Tinubu’s victory.

At yesterday’s hearing, the tribunal headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani assured all parties involved that justice will be served.

In attendance at Monday’s pre-hearing are lawyers to the petitioners, journalist, Governor Simon Lalong of the APC and Mr Obi of the LP.

Other panel members include Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo and Justice Abbah Mohammed.

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