The three main gladiators in the disputed February 25th, 2023 Presidential election – former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP and former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC and their parties- are secretly mobilizing their supporters for a re-run, this Magazine can authoritatively report.
Tinubu was, on March 1st, 2023, declared the winner of the election by the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC triggering petitions from Atiku and Obi who alleged the election was rigged.
They are Avoiding Another Election Frenzy
Impeccable sources privy to the secret mobilizations told the Magazine that “the three main candidates and their parties are convinced that the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT, is not likely to affirm any of them the actual winner of the election hence they are mobilizing for votes afresh albeit secretly to avoid throwing the nation into another election frenzy… I think they are doing it secretly in order not to jump the gun and overheat the polity”
We Will not be Caught Off Guard
The meeting of PDP stakeholders in Abuja last week which Atiku attended, sources told the magazine, was part of the mobilization effort.
It was gathered that few trusted allies of the former VP in the party had, a few hours before the stakeholders meeting, met with him behind closed doors. Deliberations centered on the party’s petition at the tribunal and after reviewing the case, it was concluded that the PDP put before the tribunal rock-solid evidence and cogent reasons to show that Tinubu was invalidly elected and that the former VP scored the majority of lawful votes and ought to have been declared winner.
However, in a worst-case scenario, it was further concluded, a re-run of the Presidential election will be ordered by the Court hence it was resolved that preparation and muted mobilization of supporters nationwide should immediately commence.
After the meeting, a chieftain of the party told our source that “we have to start early; this way we will not be caught off guard when the tribunal finally gives its judgment”
We Won and We are Prepared to Repeat the Feat
Sources close to LP have told this magazine that the party and its candidate are prepared to participate in a re-run presidential election, should the presidential election tribunal fail to outrightly declare him (Obi) the rightful winner.
Said an LP source: “We are prepared, we are ready, should the tribunal order a rerun. Our candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi, won the presidential election but was rigged out, we expect the tribunal to declare him the rightful winner but should it in its wisdom order a re-run, I want to assure you that we are ready, we won in February and we are prepared to repeat the feat”
PBAT Won, There Will Be no Re-run
Meanwhile, APC supporters and Tinubu sympathizers are emphatic that there will be no rerun.
According to an APC chieftain, Adeoye Adejobi, “PBAT ( President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) won the February presidential election and I believe the tribunal will accordingly reaffirm his victory, there will be no need for a rerun and there will be no rerun”
This optimism, however, runs counter to APC/ Tinubu’s lawyers’ plea at the tribunal, in their final written addresses, that should a re-run be ordered, Obi/ LP should be excluded.
Meanwhile, The Source has been informed that just like the PDP and LP, the APC is mobilizing for a possible re-run.
Said an APC insider: “We are ready, our supporters and members are ready; we will not be taken unawares, however, we are not praying for a rerun because if a re-a run is ordered and we have to embark on a fresh campaign, given the removal of subsidy on fuel, high cost of goods and the excruciating hardship in the country, what will be our Unique Selling Proposition, USP? What will we be telling the electorates? What reason or reasons are we going to give them to win their hearts and votes?
Re-run: Who will Participate in it?
In concert with the constitution, should the tribunal cancel the February 25th presidential election and orders a rerun, the contest ought to be between Tinubu and Atiku who came first and second respectively as announced by INEC but the Obi and Atiku camps think otherwise.
The camps of the two Presidential candidates are envisaging the disqualification of Tinubu by the tribunal from participating in the rerun on account of his alleged perjury, forgery, and his US drug-related forfeiture.
Diran Onifade, spokesman of the Obi-Datti campaign organization in a recent release argued that if the tribunal deducted votes from the states Obi was allegedly rigged out and added the same to his already declared votes, he will come first.
Should this happen and the tribunal goes ahead to disqualify Tinubu and still orders a rerun, according to analysts, the contest will be between Obi and Atiku.
Similarly, Atiku’s camp, believes that the former VP won the majority of lawful votes and that if the tribunal orders a return, it will exclude Tinubu from it.
However, Tinubu’s lawyers argue that a rerun, should it be ordered, will exclude Obi given that, according to the results declared by INEC, he came third; this they pleaded at the tribunal in their final submission.
How we Got Here
Atiku and Obi who came second and third respectively in the election, dissatisfied with INEC’s declaration of Tinubu as winner, had dragged INEC, Timubu, and the APC to the tribunal praying it to declare the APC candidate invalidly elected and either declare them a rightful winner or order a rerun without Tinubu/ APC’s participation.
The petitioners and respondents have closed their cases and given their final written addresses while the tribunal has reserved its judgment.
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