Politics
BREAKING: Tribunal Announces Date For Judgment On Obi, Atiku’s Petition Against Tinubu
The Court is set to announce its decisions on the petitions filed by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and the Allied People Movement challenging President Bola Tinubu’s declaration and election victory on Wednesday, September 6, 2023.
The court had previously withheld its decision after the petitioners, including the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, as well as the Labour Party, wrapped up their cases in June, having presented 40 of the 150 witnesses initially listed in their petitions.
Additionally, the court had deferred judgment on petitions filed by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against President Tinubu’s election win.
The court has consolidated these three petitions challenging the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
During the presentation of the trial schedule and pre-hearing report, the court opted to combine the petitions filed by various political parties. These petitions are identified as CA/PEPC/05/2023, CA/PEPC/04/2023, and CA/PEPC/03/2023.
The court’s decision to merge them was motivated by the fact that these petitions all addressed interconnected issues related to the election.
On March 1, 2023, around 4:00 am, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the winner of the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
INEC based this declaration on the grounds that the All Progressives Congress (APC) received the highest number of votes in the election and that Senator Tinubu met the legal requirement of securing at least one-quarter of the votes in each of at least two-thirds of all states in the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In the results proclaimed on March 1, 2023, Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, constituting 36.61% of the total votes cast in the election, ultimately emerging as the winner.
Atiku, who secured the second position, garnered 6,984,520 votes, accounting for 29.07% of the votes cast. Meanwhile, Obi followed closely with 6,101,533 votes, representing 25.40% of the votes cast during the disputed election.
Rabiu Kwankwaso, the candidate from the NNPP, landed in fourth place with 1,496,687 votes, equating to 6.40% of the votes cast. Princess Chichi Ojei, the sole female presidential candidate in the election, received only 25,961 votes and did not contend for the top four positions.
However, in their separate cases, both Obi and Atiku are challenging the election primarily based on INEC’s alleged failure to conduct electronic transmission of results from the polling units. They argue that this omission has legal implications for the validity of the election.
Additionally, they contend that Tinubu did not secure both a majority of votes cast in the election and the required 25 percent of votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which they assert is a constitutional prerequisite for a candidate to be declared the winner of the election.
Another issue raised by the petitioners revolves around the APC vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, who was nominated for two positions—vice-president and senatorial candidate for Borno Central. This dual nomination is a point of contention in their petitions.
After a series of delays, the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on Rivers State has finally held its much-anticipated meeting with the Sole Administrator of the state, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas.
The meeting, which took place in Abuja, comes as the House exercises its constitutional powers to assume the functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly, following the ongoing political crisis in the state.
In his opening remarks, Vice Admiral Ibas apologised for his inability to attend earlier scheduled meetings, citing the need for more time to settle into his new role.
READ ALSO: Ibas Makes First Appearance At NEC Meeting As Rivers Sole Administrator
He told the committee that he is still acclimatising to the demands of his position and appealed for the lawmakers’ understanding as he prepares to provide a detailed briefing.
Shortly after his plea, the session went into a closed-door meeting, with journalists and observers asked to leave.
More to follow………….
Deji Adeyanju, a Nigerian activist and lawyer, has made explosive claims regarding the 2023 presidential election, suggesting that former Labour Party (LP) candidate Peter Obi and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader Rabiu Kwankwaso secretly supported President Bola Tinubu’s campaign.
In a post shared on his 𝕏 page Thursday, Adeyanju contended that Obi, who ran against Tinubu, would likely continue to support the president in future political endeavors.
He expressed certainty that Obi would decline any efforts to form a coalition aimed at challenging Tinubu in the next election.
READ ALSO: Lad Who Stood In Front Of Obi’s Convoy Apprehended For Street Fighting – Police
“I’m 100% convinced that Obi worked for Tinubu in 2023 and will do so again. I might be wrong, but I’m convinced in my mind about this,” Adeyanju wrote.
“Once a businessman, always a businessman. Those still in doubt will see the clear handwriting before 2027. He will refuse to join the coalition,” he continued.
Additionally, Adeyanju accused Kwankwaso of working in favor of Tinubu during the previous election.
He emphasized that for any opposition coalition to succeed in the 2027 race, figures like Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar—another presidential hopeful—must step aside.
“For the coalition to succeed, all the self-centered politicians like Atiku & Obi should promise not to run and allow neutral folks to run against Tinubu,” Adeyanju proposed. “This is how to put the interest of the nation above personal interest,” he added.
The activist went on to criticize the culture surrounding Nigerian politics, describing it as an industry driven by opportunism.
He lamented the presence of “merchants” surrounding top politicians, accusing them of putting personal gain ahead of the country’s well-being. “The biggest industry in Africa is politics,” Adeyanju said.
“And those around popular politicians are all merchants. Once politics is around the corner, they are in business. Con men and women who just want to cash out.”
Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, attended his first National Economic Council (NEC) meeting today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Ibas was appointed to the position by President Bola Tinubu following the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in March 2025.
READ MORE: Tinubu Swears In Ibas As Rivers Sole Administrator
The NEC meeting, which is being presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima, gathered a number of state governors and deputy governors from across the 36 states of Nigeria to discuss important national economic issues.
Among the notable figures in attendance was Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress.
Governor Oborevwori led the opening prayers at the meeting on the instruction of Vice President Shettima.
Other state governors present included Rev. Fr. Hycinth Alia of Benue State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak of Kwara, Monday Okpebholo of Edo, and Bassey Otu of Cross River, along with several deputy governors.
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