The Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPT) dealt a blow to the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by dismissing their petition challenging President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 election. In a lead judgment delivered by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, the PEPT ruled that the Labour Party had failed to demonstrate how it secured the majority of legitimate votes in the election. The court noted that the party had made general allegations of irregularities, vote suppression, and corrupt practices without providing any substantiating evidence.
Justice Mohammed stated, “The petitioner failed to prove the essential elements of its petition,” leading to the dismissal of the petition. The LP had alleged irregularities such as ballot box stuffing, vote-buying, and voter intimidation during the election. They also claimed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had not properly conducted the election.
However, the PEPT found that the LP had not presented any evidence to support these allegations and had not specified the polling units where these alleged irregularities occurred. This ruling represents a significant setback for the LP and its presidential aspirations, particularly Peter Obi, who was considered a potential challenger to Tinubu. It also impacts Nigeria’s political opposition, as the main opposition party, the PDP, has also challenged Tinubu’s victory with a pending petition.
The LP’s dismissal may be appealed to the Supreme Court, although the outcome remains uncertain.