Peter Obi's evidence against Tinubu, admitted by the court.

 

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja made a significant development on Tuesday by admitting forms as exhibits in a petition challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu. Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the February 25 election, along with his party, presented the exhibits known as Forms EC8B. The petition, labeled as CA/PEPC/03/2023, was filed against President Tinubu, his deputy Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

During the proceedings, Mr. Obi and his party, represented by Mr. Ben Anichebe, SAN, submitted Forms EC8B from the 17 states they contested. These states include Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Sokoto, Delta, Ekiti, Imo, Kaduna, Oyo, Cross River, Edo, Akwa Ibom, and Lagos. The forms contained the collated presidential election results from various local government areas (LGAs) within these states.

However, the respondents' counsels, including Mr. Kemi Pinhero (representing INEC), Mr. Wole Olanipakun (representing Tinubu and Shettima), and Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (representing the APC), objected to the tendering of the Forms EC8Bs by the petitioners. They reserved their reasons for objection until their final addresses.

Nonetheless, the court admitted all the documents submitted by the petitioners as their schedule of documents and marked them as exhibits. The five-man panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, subsequently adjourned further hearing of the petition until Wednesday, allowing both parties to present their arguments and counterarguments.

This development signifies a crucial step in the ongoing presidential election petition, as the court acknowledges the relevance of the collated results from the contested states. The admission of these exhibits paves the way for a thorough examination of the electoral process and the validity of the election results. As the proceedings continue, all parties involved eagerly await the court's final decision, which will determine the fate of President Tinubu's election victory.