By Gideon Njoku
In a move to overturn his victory at the February 25, 2023 Presidential polls, the Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and that of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, will face President Bola Tinubu at the Supreme Court on Monday, October 23, 2023. They are joined by the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, in their bid to unseat Tinubu who was the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Election.
All the Parties had lost to Tinubu on September 6, 2023, at the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, which dismissed their suits against the President, and affirmed his declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, as the duly elected President of Nigeria.
They rejected PEPC’s judgement, and proceeded to the Supreme Court which is the final arbiter.
They filed their appeals within 14 days of PEPC’s ruling.
All the appellants have the same grudges, almost, against Tinubu’s declaration as President by INEC. The grudges range from alleged non-qualification of Tinubu to participate in the Election, alleged forgery, non-conformity with Electoral Act (IREV, BVAS), brazen intimidation and disenfranchisement of voters and alleged massive rigging.
A source within the Supreme Court disclosed on Thursday that the appeals will be heard on Monday, unless there is a change of plans.
The Supreme Court is the last bus stop for Obi, Atiku, APM and Tinubu. Whatever the Justices who will be on the Panel decide, will be binding on them and their Political Parties.
It is not known if the ruling will be given same day.
However, serious as the suits seem, Nigeria does not have a history of the Supreme Court, or any other Court for that matter, overturning the election of an already sworn-in President of the Country.
