By Olusegun Olanrewaju, Linus Aleke and Ben Adoga
For the trio, President Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi, the three gladiators for Nigeria’s No. 1 office, today marks a judgement time on who eventually occupies the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) had on Monday declared today (September 6) as the day Tinubu (of the All Progressives Congress, APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku, as well as the Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Obi, would know their fate in the February 25 poll.
Meanwhile, all ears are tuned ahead of today’s landmark judgement, in which the ruling party (APC) and the two leading political party leaders in the country, have expressed confidence that they will carry the day with a court victory.
*Tinubu, Atiku, Obi upbeat on victory
Radiating confidence, the presidency has expressed the belief that the election of Tinubu will be upheld today by the PEPT.
On his part, the LP presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential election, Obi, expressed optimism that with the evidence they had tendered and brought before the court, he was also expecting nothing short of victory if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lives up to its billing as a true election arbiter.
It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), won the presidential election ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the contest.
The commission declared that Tinubu scored 8,794,726 votes to defeat the two major contenders, Atiku of the PDP, who came second with 6,984,520 votes, and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came third with 6,101,533 votes.
However, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, both Atiku and Obi approached the court to invalidate it.
The duo, in their separate petitions, claimed that they won the presidential poll, even as they challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.
The petitioners are praying the court to nullify the election and order a fresh presidential election, with the exclusion of President Tinubu whom they argued was ab initio, not qualified to participate.
In an earlier statement, the Chief Registrar of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, Umar Bangwari, had expressed his ‘wish’ to inform the general public “that judgement in the petitions before the Presidential Election Petitions Court will be delivered on 6th of September, 2023.”
According to him, in the bid “to promote transparency and openness, those judgments will be televised live by interested television stations for the public to follow.’
Bangari added that access to the court’s premises will strictly be on accreditation.
“Only accredited individuals, including counsel and representatives of political parties, will be granted access into the courtroom,” Bangari stated.
He also said that interested members of the public are advised to watch the proceedings of the court from their television sets. “We appeal for the maximum cooperation of the general public to ensure a hitch-free exercise, please,” he added.
*The road
The road to today’s landmark judgement has been laced with drama and tales and facts. On August 1, the counsel to the parties adopted their final addresses and made their last submissions
The counsel to the respondents, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, for INEC; Wole Olanipekun, SAN, (for President Tinubu) and Vice President Kashim Shettima, and Lateef Fagbemi, SAN (for the APC) prayed the court to dismiss the petitions of Atiku and Obi because the petitioners failed to prove their case with relevant evidence.
Mahmoud also argued that Atiku and Obi based their petitions on the wrong assumptions, trying to “make a mountain out of a molehill”.
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*Optimism
Radical lawyer, Femi Falana, has poured some olive oil into the frenzied camps of the ruling APC, as well as the leading opposition party, the PDP, and the third force in the petition race, the LP.
According to him, there is no need for any of the parties to panic or resort to any underhand measures to the judgment since losers can still proceed to the Supreme Court if they are not satisfied with the judgement.
There had been a flurry of activities as the tribunal heard tales and facts from witnesses, including a submission by the LP, penultimate week, expressing optimism that the judicial panel will issue a verdict in its favour.
A former Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the PDP, Chief Bode George, had barely 48 hours until today’s sitting widened the scope of arguments against the hearings of the court.
George, also a former National Vice-Chairman of the party for the South-West, argued that it was not right for the judiciary to decide the winner of the election.
All parties have expressed their belief that the tribunal will do nothing but justice in the matter.
National Publicity Secretary of the LP, Obiora Ifoh, said, “We are optimistic that the judgment would be in our favour, and that all our prayers to the tribunal would be positive.”
The party’s presidential standard-bearer, Obi, called for the disqualification of President Bola Tinubu from the last election and the cancellation of the election, on the premise that the electoral process was ‘flooded’ with violence and fraud.
He also sought the conduct of a fresh election due to the alleged irregularities and electoral fraud his camp argued transpired during the ‘keenly contested’ presidential polls in February.
In one of his prayers to the tribunal, the former Anambra State governor claimed that he was the only presidential candidate with the majority legal votes cast by the electorate.
It will be recalled that INEC had on March 1, announced that Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), won the presidential election ahead of 17 other candidates that participated in the contest.
The duo, in their separate petitions, claimed that they won the presidential poll, even as they challenged Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.
The petitioners are praying the court to nullify the election and order a fresh presidential election, with the exclusion of President Tinubu whom they argued was ab initio, not qualified to participate.
*Police talk tough, warn troublemakers
And ahead of today’s presidential tribunal judgment the military and police have issued a strong warning to protesters.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has strengthened its deployment across the length and breadth of the country.
The police said the action is aimed at fortifying the security architecture and forestall any breakdown of law and order across the country.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “The police wish to reiterate the commitment to ensuring the safety of lives and property before, during, and after the judgment.
“The NPF has diligently employed all necessary deployments and security measures during this critical period as officers and men are fully prepared to maintain order and enforce laws while respecting the rights and freedoms of all citizens.
“Furthermore, the NPF strongly cautions all individuals, including mischief makers and political gladiators, to be cautious in their actions and statements as the Force will not condone activities capable of inciting violence or causing a descent into anarchy.
“It is imperative for all citizens to embrace peace and maintain calm, regardless of their political affiliations, to ensure a peaceful and secure environment.
“The Nigeria Police Force is dedicated to its duty of protecting and serving the Nigerian people and is committed to carrying out these roles with professionalism, impartiality, and utmost dedication.
“Together, we can ensure a peaceful and secure environment for all during this period.”
*Army block entrances to Abuja
As a follow-up to security arrangements, the Nigerian Army yesterday barricaded the entrance to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, from all the entry points.
The barricade, which came a few hours before the much-anticipated verdict of the PEPT today, caused serious gridlock for motorists.
This is even as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), two days warning strike is expected to continue today.
Effort by ThisNigeria to find out from the Nigerian Army, the rationale behind the barricade proved abortive as calls to the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, and that of the Director, Defence Information, was not answered at the time of filing this report.
Messages to their mobile numbers were also not answered, as at press time.
Meanwhile, residents of the area who spoke to ThisNigeria on the barricade, said that as early as 9am, the Abuja-Keffi gateway into the FCT was blocked as the Army checkpoint near the Kugbo Mechanic village was activated.
The soldiers, they said, checked every single car into Abuja from the Nyanya axis, causing serious traffic gridlock.
According to them, “Those coming from Karu to the main express, decided to drive against traffic, thereby blocking both sides of the road.
It was generally believed that the search was a pre-emptive security measure taken to forestall any breach of peace during the tribunal’s judgment
A taxi driver, Kayode Idowu, who spoke to our correspondent, disclosed that there were speculations that the Shi’ite Islamic sect group was marching from Nasarawa into the FCT, adding that the military took a pre-emptive measure to stop them.
The Shiite movement has continued to protest the incarceration of their leader in Nigeria, Shaikh Ibrahim Alzakzaky, by the authorities.
A soldier on duty along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway told ThisNigeria that the military is acting on intelligence that the Islamic sect had been planning to infiltrate the territory, hence the proactive measures.
*Tinubu’s 100 days
The judgement is coming at an auspicious day the president is celebrating his 100 days in office, with mixed fortunes, according to analysts.
In a submission yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, stated “In the last 100 days, President Tinubu has offered purposeful leadership and set the administration’s tone, texture, and character.
“The appointment of ministers and allocation of portfolios bolstered the growing global confidence in the direction the president is taking in Nigeria. This action has renewed the trust of both the local and international communities in the ability of President Tinubu to revamp and retool the political economy for collective and shared prosperity. The spiraling confidence of the business community is the primary reason Equities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange recently beat a 15-year record.
This period may be challenging, but the President has planted the seeds of national transformation, growth, and all-round development. Our appeal to Nigerians and the labour unions are to continue to support the government and show more understanding. We must continue to work hard and confidently press forward to the glory of a greater Nigeria.
Observers have either hailed or lampooned some of the president’s policies since the assumption of office, even though the bigger ones like the removal of fuel subsidies and exchange police reform package are still gutting the labour movement and the economy.
