Election petitions: Tension as tribunals decide Tinubu, 25 govs cases September

There is anxiety as President Bola Tinubu and 25 state governors await the verdicts of the tribunals handling the presidential, governorship, National Assembly, and state assembly election petitions.
The panels are expected to deliver their judgments this month.

Out of the 28 states where the governorship elections were held, the results of the polls announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission are being contested in no fewer than 25 states.

Most of the tribunals which were sitting in Lagos, Sokoto, Delta, Kano, and 21 other states as well as Abuja had reserved their judgments after the parties concluded their hearings and adopted their written addresses in line with the Practice Direction for the election petitions issued by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensen.

However, political parties and their candidates who are apprehensive about the outcome of their petitions resorted to prayers and others issued cautionary words and admonitions to the justices to do what is right.

The presidential election petition tribunal had reserved judgment after the petitioners- the Peoples Democratic Party and its standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi and the Labour Party closed their cases in June after calling 40 out of the 150 witnesses earlier listed in their petitions challenging the victory of the All Progressives Congress and the President.

While Tinubu’s lawyer prayed for a successful outcome, Atiku’s legal team admonished the tribunal to “shun executive intimidation and dispense judgment on the matter.’’

A member of the President’s legal team, Yusuf Ali, SAN, said he was hopeful of victory.

But a member of Atiku’s legal team, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, urged the tribunal to dispense justice on the matter.

He said Nigerians and the international community were watching them.

Ozekhome said, “I expect justice to be done. I expect the tribunal to shun blaring sirens of power or executive intimidation to do justice.”

In Gombe, tension over the tribunal judgment was lowered a bit last week after the Chairman of the Gombe State Election Tribunal, Justice Morenike Obadina, postponed the ruling.

The governorship candidates of the PDP, Jibrin Barde, and his African Democratic Congress counterpart, Nafiu Bala, had petitioned the tribunal following the electoral victory of Muhammadu Yahaya of the APC.

The tribunal relocated to Bauchi over fear of interference.

The Ebonyi State governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja had equally reserved judgment on the petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the governorship poll held in the state on March 18.
The petitions were filed by the PDP and its candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, as well as the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Prof. Benard Odoh.

The petitioners were praying the court to void the declaration of Governor Francis Nwifuru of the APC as the winner of the governorship contest.

The Justice A. Ogunmoye-led three-member panel adjourned last Friday for judgment after the parties, through their teams of lawyers, adopted their final briefs of argument.

While adopting their process, Odii’s legal team led by Chief Chris Uche, SAN, maintained that Nwifuru did not secure the majority of lawful votes that were cast during the election.

The petitioners told the tribunal that Nwifuru’s election victory was characterised by corrupt practices, alleging that there was substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

Besides, they argued that Nwifuru did not validly resign from the PDP before he was nominated as the governorship candidate of the APC.

According to the petitioners, Nwifuru, being a PDP member before the governorship poll, was not eligible under section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, to have been sponsored by the APC to contest as its standard bearer.

The situation is not different in Kano where party faithful have been fretting as they await the verdict of the court in the APC petition challenging the victory of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of the New Nigeria People’s Party.
The tribunal had on August 21 reserved judgment in the petition.

In Delta State, the governorship tribunal had yet to announce the date for judgment in the petitions brought by the APC candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege against Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of the PDP.

The three-man tribunal panel headed by Justice C. Ahuchaogu recently adjourned for judgment after the parties adopted their written addresses.

In Akwa Ibom, the tribunal had yet to conclude proceedings as it had scheduled September 11 for sitting.
The governorship candidates of the Young Progressive Congress, Senator Bassey Akpan, and his counterparts in the APC and ANPP were challenging the outcome of the election that returned Pastor Umo Eno as the state governor.

Similarly, the Kaduna State election tribunal inaugurated on June 1 had yet to end its sitting.
It was gathered that the Justice Victor Oviawe-led panel will on Monday entertain the final written submissions by the counsels to the petitioners and respondents.

In Enugu State, the tribunal has concluded the hearing and reserved judgment in the petition contesting the outcome of the governorship election in the state.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance and its candidate, Chief Frank Nweke (Jr), and other opponents- APC’s Chief Uche Nnaji and the Labour Party’s Chijioke Edeoga were challenging the declaration of Governor Peter Mbah of the PDP as the winner of the election.
The tribunal had earlier struck out the petitions of the APC and APGA candidates.

Ahead of the conclusion of proceedings by the tribunal in Rivers State, the APC, and LP have been insisting that the judgment would favour their respective candidates.

The parties had been directed to adopt their addresses on September 6.