Following the conclusion of the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has vehemently rejected the verdict delivered by the Presidential Election Petitions Court (PEPC). The PEPC upheld the electoral victory of President Bola Tinubu, who ran as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February 25th general election.
Obi expressed his dissent during a press briefing held in Onitsha, Anambra State, which occurred shortly after Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), conveyed a similar position. Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and PDP candidate, firmly rejected the PEPC’s judgment, which confirmed Tinubu’s triumph in the February 25th general election.
The PEPC had rendered its decisions on the petitions brought forth by the PDP, LP, and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), along with their respective candidates, contesting the outcome of the election.
In response to the judgment, Peter Obi convened a concise press conference in Abuja and instructed his legal team to initiate an appeal of the PEPC’s judgment at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
This development unfolded shortly after Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s Presidential Candidate, expressed his dissatisfaction with the PEPC’s judgment. Atiku characterized the judgment as lacking substantial justice and announced his decision to instruct his legal representatives to commence an appeal.
During a news conference in Abuja, Atiku stated, “I take great pains to convey that the decision of the court of first instance on this matter falls significantly short of our expectations. I am here to declare that, though we respect the judgment of the court, we refuse to accept it. We reject the judgment because we believe it lacks substantial justice. Nevertheless, our disappointment in the court’s verdict will not diminish our confidence in the judiciary. Consequently, I have instructed my legal team to exercise my constitutionally guaranteed right to appeal to the higher court, which, in this instance, is the Supreme Court. I firmly believe that the electoral process in Nigeria should be free from irregularities, and the election’s outcome should genuinely reflect the will of the voters.”
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