JUST IN: TRIBUNAL: Peter Obi Replies INEC, Tinubu Over Petition

….As Proceedings May Commence By May

The presidential flag bearer of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has replied to all the preliminary objections filed against his petition challenging the 2023 presidential poll declared in favour of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Recall that Obi had alleged in the court processes that the election of Tinubu was invalid by reason of alleged corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022.

Obi also accused INEC of non-compliance with relevant laws, adding it altered election results in about 18,000 polling units against him while refusing to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machine mandatory to accredit voters and upload results in real-time in line with the Electoral Act.

But INEC, Tinubu, and his political party, the All Progressives Congress, had entered objections asking the tribunal to dismiss Obi’s petition for abuse of the court process.

But in replies dated April 20 and seen by our correspondent, Obi’s legal team led by Dr Livy Ozoukwu SAN, maintained that his petitions are well grounded to lawfully overturn the 2023 presidential election results announced by INEC.

Moreso, in a bid to maximise time, Obi’s team in a letter to the Secretary of, Presidential Election Court, dated April 21, asked for the “issuance of pre-hearing notice” in respect of his petition.

As seen in the letter, the court issued the pre-hearing form to him and the respective parties.

Obi wants to show the court how INEC disobeyed its orders by refusing to avail him of all electoral materials used during the presidential poll.

As contained in the form seen by our correspondent, Obi intends to argue during the pre-hearing session: “Applications for subpoena, objections, enforcement of order of court not obeyed by INEC and other applications arising in the course of the hearing.”

THE WHISTLER gathered that the Court of Appeal leadership may set the date for sitting before the end of April as pre-hearing and full hearing sitting may commence next month.

Our correspondent observed that renovation work has begun at the court where the proceedings will be held.