Presidential election petitions tribunal begins hearing today

Ima Elijah 09:26 - 08 May 2023

Nigeria's 2023 presidential election is closely-contested by Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu,

In a highly anticipated development, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja is set to commence the hearing of petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election

In a highly anticipated development, the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja is set to commence the hearing of petitions challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

The pre-hearing in the petitions is scheduled to begin today, May 8, 2023.

Background

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election, with 8,794,726 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party came in second with 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi of the Labour Party was declared the second runner-up with 6,101,533 votes.

However, Atiku, Obi, and some other parties rejected the results announced by INEC and have approached the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to annul Tinubu’s victory.

Today's proceedings are primarily focused on sorting preliminary applications before proceeding with the substantive petitions. This marks a significant moment in Nigeria's political history as the country eagerly awaits the outcome of the tribunal's hearing.

Atiku has requested that the court grant live coverage of the court proceedings, to serve Nigerians at home and in diaspora.