Obi finally files petition at election tribunal based on documents provided by INEC
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Peter Obi has finally filed his lawsuit at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT) based on documents the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) provided after weeks of prevarication and delay tactics.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) stressed the effort is aimed at
“reclaiming the people’s mandate.”
LP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) spokesman Yunusa Tanko disclosed the filing on his Twitter handle.
“It is official that the Labor Party presidential candidate Peter OBI has filed his petition to the presidential elections tribunal in Abuja. The process of reclaiming the people’s mandate has started,” Yunusa said, per reporting by Tribune.
Yunusa also confirmed the filing this morning on Arise TV where he said the petition was filed on Monday based on documents the LP team, which included himself, obtained last week at a meeting with INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu.
He said all the documents requested from the INEC have not been supplied but the LP proceeded with the filing in hope of obtaining additional documents from the electoral umpire.
Tanko added LP legal teams are also seeking documents from state Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), including Lagos, where the LP is led by human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi, who came out of retirement to join the legal battle.
But, he stressed, the INEC has taken another step to frustrate the petition as its Secretary has written a memo to state RECs to release only results which conform with what the Commission posted on its server.
__________________________________________________________________
Related articles:
Obi tells supporters, I have confidence in the judiciary, vote in gov election
Truth in presidential election fraud will soon be exposed, LP says
Atiku confident court will upturn Tinubu’s ‘forged’ victory
__________________________________________________________________
LP complains INEC frustrating its petition at tribunal
A deliberate effort is being made by the Secretary of the INEC to frustrate our presidential election petition at the tribunal, the LP complained at the weekend.
Tanko raised the alarm in a statement issued in Abuja.
He disclosed the INEC Secretary has written a memo to state RECs to release only results which conform with what the Commission posted on its server.
“The legal team of the OBI/Datti campaign organisation after the last visit to INEC requested for the 36 state results and other materials used for the election,” Tanko said.
“After noticing the slow pace of getting the results, the legal them made urgent request for the release of certified true copies of nine states out of which eight states were released in the sequence of two and six states.
Memo, a red flag
“At the moment, INEC Secretary has written a letter to all Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) directing them not to release any result that is not in conformity with what was posted on the INEC server, that for us is a RED FLAG.
“It has become very important to keep the Obidient Movement and indeed Nigerians updated of this development,” Tanko stressed.
“We want to restate that it is important for the survival of our democracy and the stability of our country that INEC keeps to its promise and statement made by the INEC Chairman that all legal materials requested by the legal team will be provided according to the pronouncement of the court.
“Ladies and gentlemen of the press we have now up till Sunday the 19th of March to file in our case. They say a stitch in time saves nine.”