The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja has dismissed allegations made by the Labour Party (LP) and its candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, regarding the rigging of the 2023 presidential election in favor of President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Abba Mohammed, delivering a preliminary ruling, stated that Obi and the LP did not provide credible evidence to support their claim that the February 25 election was marked by manifest corrupt practices. While they alleged irregularities in the election, they failed to provide specific details of where these infractions occurred.
The court also noted that the petitioners accused the election of being rigged in 18,088 polling units across the country but could not specify the locations of these units. The allegation that fictitious results were recorded for President Tinubu and the APC by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not substantiated.
Additionally, the court ruled that the petitioners did not specify the polling units where over-voting occurred or the exact figures of unlawful votes attributed to Tinubu by INEC.
The court struck out multiple paragraphs of the petition, deeming them vague and imprecise. However, it dismissed the argument that Obi was not validly nominated by the LP to contest the presidential election, stating that membership issues are internal party affairs and not justiciable.
The court is now proceeding to deliver its judgment on the substantive matter