NEWS
JUST IN: Tribunal Strikes Out Sections Of Obi, LP’s Election Petition
The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, based in Abuja, has rejected the claim made by the Labour Party, LP, and its candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, regarding the alleged rigging of the 2023 presidential election in favor of President Bola Tinubu.
In a preliminary ruling delivered by Justice Abba Mohammed, the court determined that Obi and the LP did not provide credible evidence to substantiate their accusation that the election on February 25 was tainted by significant corrupt practices.
The court noted that although the Petitioners asserted that the election had irregularities, they were unable to specify the exact locations where these alleged infractions occurred.
The court also pointed out that despite Obi and the LP’s claim that the election was rigged in 18,088 polling units nationwide, they were unable to provide the specific locations of these polling units.
Additionally, the court ruled that Obi’s allegation that fictitious results were submitted to President Tinubu and the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, lacked sufficient evidence to be substantiated.
Furthermore, the court emphasized that the Petitioners failed to specify the figures they alleged were deducted from their election results in various states across the federation, including Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Yobe, Borno, Tabara, Osun, and Lagos.
The court also noted that the Petitioners did not provide details regarding the polling units where over-voting was said to have occurred or the precise numbers of unlawful votes credited to Tinubu by the INEC.
The court emphasized that even though Obi and the LP had stated their intention to rely on spreadsheets, forensic reports, and expert analysis from their expert witnesses, they did not attach these documents to the petition or provide them to the Respondents, as legally required.
Furthermore, the court noted that the petition contained significant allegations related to violence, non-voting, vote suppression, fictitious recording of election results, and corrupt practices.
However, the Petitioners did not provide specific details or particulars regarding the polling units where these incidents allegedly occurred.
The court determined that various sections of the petition containing the allegations were deemed “vague, imprecise, nebulous, and lacking in specific details.”
Consequently, the court decided to strike out paragraphs 9, 60, 61, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 76, 77, 78, 83, and 89 of the petition.
However, it’s important to note that the court dismissed the argument put forth by the Respondents claiming that Obi was not validly nominated by the LP to participate in the presidential election.
The court acknowledged that the Respondents presented the argument that Obi had departed from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on May 24, 2022, and subsequently joined the LP on May 27, 2022.
According to the Respondents, as of May 30, 2022, Obi was not a valid member of the LP, and therefore, he could not have legitimately participated in the LP’s presidential primary election.
They contended that his name should not have been included in the LP’s membership register submitted to INEC, as this should have been done 30 days prior to the primary election.
In its ruling, the court asserted that matters related to party membership are considered internal affairs of a political party and are not subject to judicial review.
The court further emphasized that it is the exclusive right of the LP to determine who qualifies as its member. It stated that the Respondents lacked the legal standing to challenge or question Obi’s membership status within the LP.
The court also ruled that, in contrast to the argument made by Tinubu and the APC, the Petitioners were not required to include Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the election, or his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as parties to the case.
It clarified that both Atiku and the PDP were not statutory Respondents or necessary parties to the petition.
With the preliminary issues settled, the Chairman of the five-member panel, Justice Haruna Tsammani, is presently delivering the court’s judgment on the substantive matter.
Oil marketers have warned that Nigerians may soon pay as much as ₦1,500 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, as global oil prices surge following the escalating conflict involving Iran in the Middle East.
The National President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Dr. Billy Gillis-Harry, issued the warning on Tuesday while speaking on a television programme on the impact of the global crisis on fuel prices.
According to him, the current volatility in the international oil market has already pushed petrol prices above ₦1,000 per litre at the depot level, with the ex-depot price from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now standing at about ₦1,175 per litre.
He explained that once logistics, transportation, and other operational costs are added, the final pump price could rise significantly, possibly reaching ₦1,500 per litre in the near future.
Despite concerns about the rising cost of fuel, Gillis-Harry noted that steady availability of petroleum products from the Dangote Refinery remains a major relief for Nigeria, stressing that consistent supply is better than a nationwide fuel scarcity.
He added that the refinery’s production capacity is helping to stabilize supply across the country at a time when global markets remain highly unstable.
The latest price adjustment by the Dangote Refinery marks the fourth review within two weeks. Petrol prices increased from ₦995 per litre to ₦1,175 per litre, while diesel rose from ₦1,430 to about ₦1,620 per litre.
The development comes amid a sharp spike in international crude oil prices triggered by fears of supply disruptions due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Brent crude recently climbed above $102 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) rose to around $101 per barrel.
Industry analysts say the rising oil prices are already having a ripple effect on Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector, forcing depot operators and fuel marketers to adjust their prices in response to the global market trend.
Meanwhile, the management of Dangote Petroleum Refinery has stated that although Nigeria introduced a crude-for-naira arrangement to support local refineries, the facility still purchases crude oil at international market prices, leaving it exposed to global price fluctuations.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
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