Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for president in the February 25 presidential election, and his party confirmed on Thursday in Abuja before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that they would only contest the election results in 18 states.
In the states where they decisively and uncontestedly won, they maintained that they would not let their efforts wane.
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At the conclusion of the hearings, only six states’ worth of verified election paperwork from the Independent National election Commission (INEC) were submitted by Peter Obi and his party.
Election results from polling units, mostly Forms EC8A, were permitted as exhibits to be used to prove their alleged election riggings and other irregularities.
Presiding Justice of the Court, Haruna Simon Tsammani admitted the documents as exhibits after they were tendered by Chief Emeka Okpoko SAN who represented Obi and the Labour Party.
Meanwhile, Kemi Pinhero SAN, speaking on behalf of INEC, issued the documents and attested to their validity before dramatically announcing its objection to their acceptance.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shetima, who are the petition’s second and third respondents and are represented by Adebayo Adelodun SAN, have also made suggestions that they challenge the electoral records’ acceptance.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, asserted that it would object to the documents in a similar manner, and was represented by Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN.
Breakdown of the tendered and admitted documents showed that Forms EC8A were tendered in 15 Local Government Areas of Rivers State, 23 in Benue, 18 in Cross River, 23 in Niger State, 20 in Osun and 16 in Ekiti Local Government Areas.
A further hearing in the petition has been shifted to June 2 by the Court at the instance of the two petitioners.
