The Presidential Election Petition Court, has officially scheduled Wednesday as the day when it will render its judgment on the three petitions contesting the results of the 2023 presidential election. This confirmation came from Mr. Umar Bangari, the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, in a statement to judiciary correspondents on Monday.
The petitions in question involve the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, the Labour Party and its Presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Mr. Bangari assured that comprehensive preparations have been made to ensure a seamless delivery of judgment. In terms of security, measures are in place to prevent overcrowding and maintain security within the courtroom. Only invited representatives of political parties and the general public will be granted access.
Furthermore, media outlets interested in broadcasting the judgment live will be permitted to do so at no cost to the court.
To provide some context, Abubakar Atiku and the PDP closed their case on June 23, having called 27 out of 100 witnesses and submitted electoral documents as evidence. Peter Obi, on the other hand, presented 13 witnesses, while the legal team of President Tinubu chose to close their defense after calling only one witness, Senate Majority Leader Michael Bamidele.
The heart of the matter revolves around allegations made by Atiku and the PDP that INEC failed to properly utilize technological innovations introduced for the 2023 elections, particularly regarding the transmission of results. They seek to nullify the entire election and request a re-run or fresh contest. Peter Obi and the Labour Party argue that the election was intentionally sabotaged to manipulate the outcome.
On the flip side, INEC, President Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC have consistently maintained that the election was conducted validly and in substantial compliance with all relevant laws. INEC defended its use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter authentication, verification, and result transmission. They also contested the interpretation that a presidential candidate must secure 25% of votes in the FCT to win, arguing that FCT should be treated as the 37th state of the federation.
President Tinubu's legal team highlighted the importance of respecting the will of the electorate and questioned the petitioners' ability to provide sufficient evidence. They also pointed out that many of the issues raised had already been addressed by previous court rulings.
In sum, the stage is set for a significant judgment that will determine the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. The various parties involved have presented their arguments, and now the court's decision awaits on Wednesday.
