The suit was discontinued because the results have already been announced and a President-elect declared.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Seven state governments controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have discontinued a suit against the Federal Government at the Supreme Court challenging the declaration of Bola Tinubu as President-elect.
The states are Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Taraba and Sokoto.
In the suit which had the attorneys general of the seven states as plaintiffs and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendant, the seven states had asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the just concluded general elections, as they claimed that the declaration of Tinubu did not follow the Electoral Act and INEC’s own laid down guidelines, particularly the uploading of results to the IREV through the BVAS.
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They also expressed fear of a potential breakdown of public order and civil disobedience.
“Most Nigerians, including the Governments and peoples of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa State, Delta State, Edo, and Sokoto state, are entitled to a proper and electoral lawful process and procedure that guarantees a free, fair, transparent and credible election.
“There is no justifiable basis for the ongoing collation of results without compliance with the mandatory provisions of the law that mandatorily require the use of BVAs, electronic transmission to the IRev Portal,” they said.
The plaintiffs prayed for a declaration that the entire results of the presidential election conducted on Feb. 25, announced by the Chairman of the INEC, at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, was in flagrant provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The Notice of Discontinuance signed by their lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, on Friday, said “Take notice that the plaintiffs doth hereby wholly discontinue this suit against the defendant herein.”
The suit was discontinued because the results have already been announced and a President-elect declared. Having been overtaken by events, it will now be a tribunal matter.