Labour party rejects tribunal's judgment
The Labour Party has rejected the judgement of the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani which dismissed the petition of the party against the election of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party said that justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.
The party said its next line of action would be made known after consulting with its lawyers and studying the certified true copy of the Judgement.
The statement reads
“The Labour Party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of petitions by the five-man panel of the Presidential Election Petition Court led by Justice Haruna Tsammani today and we reject the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.
Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February 25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal in its wisdom refused to accept the obvious. What is at stake is democracy and we will not relent until the will of the people prevail.
We salute the doggedness of our team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in our system. We can only weep for democracy in Nigeria but we refuse to give up on Nigeria.
Details of the party’s position will be presented after consultation with our lawyers after the Certified True Copy of the judgement.
We urge all lovers of democracy to remain focused and hopeful because a new Nigeria is possible”
'Tribunal dismisses Peter Obi's petition challenging Tinubu's victory, says it lacks merit
The Presidential Election Petitions Court has ruled that the petition filed by Labour party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, is ‘’unmeritorious''.
Delivering judgement in the petition on Wednesday, September 6, the the five-man panel of justices led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, described as ridiculous the argument by the Labour party that Tinubu ought not to be declared winner of the election because he scored less than 25 per cent votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and was not duly elected by majority of lawful votes cast.
The tribunal considered the directive of state policy and the preamble of the constitution that provides for the equality of citizens and held that by the provisions of Section 134 (2a) of the constitution, and without any form of equivocation, “scoring 25 percent in the FCT in a presidential election is not mandatory and this issue was also resolved against the petitioner and in favour of the respondent”.
The court subsequently declared LP’s petition clearly unmeritorious.