Politics
#NigeriaDecides: Gov Election Postponed Due To Peter Obi, Atiku Legal Battle
On Wednesday, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party, arrived at the Court of Appeal in Abuja with his legal team where a ruling was being delivered in a lawsuit requesting a modification to the previous order allowing him and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleague, Atiku Abubakar, to examine the election materials used in the February 25 presidential election.
He was accompanied by the Labour Party’s Chairman, Julius Abure, and former All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chairman turned Labour Party Senator-elect, Victor Umeh.
Despite coming in third in the presidential election, Obi took to Twitter to announce his presence at Wednesday’s hearing, which pertains to a motion requesting an amendment to a prior court order permitting him to scrutinize the election materials.
Obi stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has failed to comply with the court order, as he and his legal team have been unable to access the electoral materials.
Peter Obi, along with numerous supporters of the Obi-Datti campaign, arrived at the courtroom at approximately 1:45 pm.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal in Abuja on Tuesday 7th postponed its ruling to Wednesday in a request made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend the court’s order for the inspection of materials used in the February 25th presidential election.
Justice Joseph Ikyegh, who presided over the three-member panel at the Court of Appeal, announced the new date for the ruling after lawyers representing the parties in the lawsuit presented their arguments both for and against the motion.
On March 4th, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) filed a request with the Court of Appeal seeking permission to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which was utilized during the presidential and parliamentary elections, in preparation for the upcoming governorship and state houses of assembly elections.
INEC explained that the reconfiguration is necessary to enable the BVAS to function efficiently in the upcoming polls.
Mr. Inuwa Tanimu, SAN, representing INEC, assured the court that the defendants have no reason to be concerned since the information that will be erased during the reconfiguration will be stored and protected on the cloud server.
Tanimu has stated that the electoral commission is running out of time and if the previous order is not changed, it could have an impact on the upcoming governorship election on March 11.
On the other hand, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu and Chief Emeka Etiaba, both Senior Advocates of Nigeria, who are representing Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar respectively, have opposed the changing of the order.
They argue that vital information required to prove their case will be lost if the order is varied.
Ikpeazu has emphasized that the authentic number of accredited voters can only be obtained from the BVAS, he warns that reconfiguring the BVAS could result in the loss of crucial information.
Furthermore, he suggests that the March 11 elections could be postponed if the circumstances require it. He urged the court to dismiss the Commission’s application.
In contrast, Ikpeazu has requested the court to permit his clients to carry out a physical/digital forensic examination of the presidential electoral materials. Additionally, he requested an order directing INEC to issue a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the registered voters and polling units results.
According to Ikpeazu, the purpose of the request was to ensure that evidence is preserved before it is lost.
He stated that information on the INEC server can vary from day to day and it was only after obtaining information from the BVAS that they were able to demonstrate that there was no over-voting during last year’s gubernatorial election.
INEC had declared candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, winner of the presidential election having scored the highest number of votes cast in the election.
Tinubu polled over eight million votes to emerged victorious, while Atiku came second with nearly seven million votes and Obi third, with a little above six million.
Similarly, both Tinubu and Atiku won 12 states each, while Obi won 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Following the announcement of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the presidential election, the opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, expressed dissatisfaction with the results.
They vowed to challenge the outcome of the election and pursue their grievances through the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which is responsible for hearing and determining cases related to the conduct of the presidential election.
According to reports, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and his commissioners held a closed-door meeting on Wednesday 8th March, 2023 to discuss the upcoming governorship election.
The meeting, which commenced at 7 PM, reportedly led to the decision to postpone the election to March 18.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, has hit back at his former running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, insisting that he has the experience and capacity to improve Nigeria.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said his record in the state demonstrated what he could achieve at the national level if elected president.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 presidential election, had recently said that none of the politicians challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027, including Obi, could improve the country.
SEE MORE: 2027: ‘Nobody Owns Rivers Votes’ — ADC Fires Back at Wike
However, speaking in an interview previewed by Arise Television on Monday, Obi rejected the assessment, saying, “I passed through Anambra State, and I improved the state in critical areas of development. And I can do the same thing in Nigeria.”
The former Anambra governor said his administration would prioritise good governance, reduce waste and tackle corruption if given the opportunity to lead the country.
“I am sure that if given the opportunity, first I will bring civility and order in governance, and I will be able to cut costs of governance, which is irresponsible today. I will be able to do quite a number of things that will bring honour and respect to the country,” Obi said.
He also outlined some of the measures he intends to pursue, including fighting corruption, reducing waste, strengthening law and order and ensuring credible elections.
“I will fight corruption; I will deal with issues of waste, law and order, and rigging won’t take place under my watch; political parties will function, and things will be done properly,” he said.
According to Obi, national unity and security would also be among his major priorities, alongside investments in healthcare and education and efforts to reduce poverty.
“I will focus on our priorities to unite the country, as it’s not united today, and secure the country. Secondly, secure the country.
Thirdly, to ensure we prioritise critical areas of development, like health, education and pulling people out of poverty,” Obi added.
Datti’s Position
Baba-Ahmed made his comments during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye and posted on Saturday.
“I will simply advise Uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him because none of them will improve Nigeria,” he said.
When asked whether he was referring to all
the opposition candidates, Baba-Ahmed replied, “Tinubu should leave the stage. All those people contesting against him, too—they were all in bed together at some point or another.”
Asked specifically whether he was referring to Peter Obi, Baba-Ahmed said, “Including Peter Obi, I’m sorry to say.”
The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has hit back at Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his prediction that ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi would be defeated in the 2027 election.
The ADC warned that elections are not won through boasting, intimidation or political declarations, stressing that the people of Rivers State would ultimately determine who wins at the polls.
The state chairman of the party, Chukwudi Dimkpa, made the remarks in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.
SEE MORE: ‘It’s a Lie’ — Wike’s Aide Debunks Peter Obi’s ‘No Shishi’ Claim
Dimkpa was reacting to comments reportedly made by Wike during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Ikwerre Local Government Area in Omagwa on Saturday.
Wike had reportedly stated that Amaechi would be defeated by 12 noon on election day.
But Dimkpa dismissed the declaration, insisting that the former Rivers State governor’s political fate would be determined by voters and the electoral process.
“Elections are not won by boasts, intimidation or political strongmen announcing results in advance. Rivers people will vote, the votes will be counted, and INEC, not Wike, will declare the winner,” he said.
The ADC chairman also condemned the decision to hold the political reception around the same period Amaechi was burying his mother, Dame Ezinne Amaechi, in Ubima.
According to him, Wike and the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Wobodo, used the occasion to attack and taunt Amaechi while sympathisers from across the country were travelling to the community for the burial.
Dimkpa described the development as “insensitive, provocative and embarrassing.”
He questioned why Wike’s political rivalry with Amaechi could not be put aside, even temporarily, during the burial.
“If Wike could not suspend his political obsession with Amaechi even for the few hours in which the man was laying his mother to rest, then Rivers people should ask themselves who really is consumed by this rivalry,” he stated.
The ADC chairman said his party had deliberately refrained from responding immediately because its focus was on ensuring that Amaechi’s mother received a befitting burial.
He, however, warned that no individual or political leader should assume ownership of Rivers State or its electorate.
“Rivers State belongs to all of us. Nobody owns the people, nobody owns their votes, and certainly, nobody can declare an election result by 12 noon,” Dimkpa said.
He urged Rivers voters to reject intimidation and make their choice based on the candidate they believe can deliver meaningful development and improve their lives.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to apologise to residents or resign over his recent comments concerning the 2027 general elections.
The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Darlington Peter-Onwe, made the demand during a live radio programme on Friday, describing the governor’s remarks as capable of stoking political violence ahead of the elections.
Peter-Onwe was reacting to Nwifuru’s directive to newly sworn-in local government chairmen to ensure that the All Progressives Congress wins their respective councils in the 2027 elections or risk being removed from office.
SEE MORE: 2027: Massive Turnout as Adebutu, Iyabo Obasanjo Kick Off PDP Campaign in Ogun
“The Governor should apologise to Ebonyians or resign. He should retract the statement or step down because he has violated the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy,” Peter-Onwe stated.
“Section 14 of the Constitution explicitly provides that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property. By making such statements, he is now the one insinuating violence.”
The PDP’s reaction followed comments made by Nwifuru during the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected local government chairmen and their deputies in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
While dismissing allegations of harassment and intimidation of political critics by APC members and supporters, the governor warned opposition politicians that they would “see real threats at the right time.”
Nwifuru also charged the council chairmen to ensure that the opposition does not win their respective local government areas in 2027.
“You must not allow the opposition to win in your respective local government councils during the 2027 general elections,” the governor told the chairmen.
“Any chairman who fails to win his council will be removed from office.
“We will use your councillor and remove you.
“If you allow anybody to come to your Local Government council and mess up, deal with that person mercilessly.”
The governor further said he deliberately made the remarks publicly because politicians do not speak in secret.
“I want this information to make the headlines because, as politicians, we do not speak in secret,” he said.
Reacting further, Peter-Onwe compared Nwifuru’s approach with that of Abia State Governor Alex Otti, whom he described as an example of leadership accountability.
“Look at what Governor Alex Otti did when there was a disruption in the education sector. He came out openly and apologised, admitting that it shouldn’t have happened.
That is the true strength of a leader,” he added.
The PDP spokesperson also alleged that the governor’s comments had contributed to hostility against opposition members and media practitioners in the state.
The development comes amid growing political activities and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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