Obi, Lalong present as election tribunal begins pre-hearing in Abuja

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, was present in the court as the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja, on Monday, May 8, commenced the pre-hearing of the petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25, 2023, presidential election.

Also present in court to observe the proceedings was Plateau State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Simon Lalong.

The tribunal sitting at the Court of Appeal consists of a five-member panel of judges headed by Justice Haruna Tsammani.

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Other panel members of the panel include Justice Stephen Adah, Justice Misitura Bolaji-Yusuf, Justice Boloukuoromo Moses Ugo, and Justice Abbah Mohammed.

There was a heavy presence of security operatives at the court premises and road leading to the court on Monday, May 8.

Justice Tsammani-led’s panel announced that it would commence its pre-hearing session with three petitions.

They are the petitions by Action Alliance (AA) marked: CA/PEPC/01/2023; Action Peoples Party (APP) marked: CA/PEPC/02/2023; and Peter Obi and LP marked: CA/PEPC/03/2023.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Bola Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came second with 6,984,520 votes, while Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes to occupy the third position.

Atiku, Obi, and other political parties, however, filed petitions to challenge the outcome of the presidential poll.

The Star