During the Presidential Tribunal, Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), presented 136 additional documents before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) in Abuja. Obi, who alleged that the 2023 presidential election was rigged, submitted these exhibits as evidence. The five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, admitted the exhibits, which included presidential election results from six states: Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom. These results, contained in Forms EC8A, were certified copies obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Obi had previously submitted election results from 115 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers, Niger, Benue, Cross River, Osun, and Ekiti. The court granted permission for the submission of additional results from six LGAs in Rivers State. However, INEC expressed its objection to these additional results, stating they were "strange." Counsel for President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) also objected to the admission of the results into evidence, reserving their reasons for disagreement for their final written addresses. Despite the objections, the court accepted results from various LGAs in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Oyo, Edo, Lagos, and Akwa Ibom states as exhibits. Obi, along with the LP, intends to call 50 witnesses in support of their joint petition, which challenges the eligibility and legitimacy of President Tinubu's victory in the election. They argue that Tinubu was not qualified to run for president due to his running mate, Shettima, still being the APC's nominated candidate for the Borno Central Senatorial race when he became the Vice Presidential candidate. The petitioners also raised concerns about Tinubu's eligibility based on his previous legal issues in the United States. They further contend that INEC's actions during the election violated regulations and guidelines, leading to a breach of the Electoral Act of 2022. As a result, they seek a declaration that all votes cast for Tinubu and the APC were invalid due to his ineligibility or disqualification.
