Ayuba Sanusi
THE presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 25th February presidential election, Mr Peter Gregory Obi and his party confirmed on Thursday in Abuja to the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) that they would challenge the election results in 18 states only.
They held that they would not dissipate energies in the states where they won convincingly and without any dispute.
However, at the end of the proceedings, Obi and his party tendered Certified True Copies (CTC) of electoral documents obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in only six states.
The documents, mainly, Forms EC8A, election results from polling units were admitted as exhibits to be used to establish their alleged riggings and other malpractices during the election.
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, INEC which originally issued and certified the documents as genuine dramatically announced its decision to object to their admissibility in court. The Commission raised its objection through its counsel, Kemi Pinheiro (SAN),
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shetima, who are 2nd and 3rd Respondents, respectively and represented by Adebayo Adelodun (SAN) in the petition challenging their declaration as winners of the election, also opposed the admissibility of the electoral documents.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), represented by Chief Afolabi Fashanu (SAN) also objected to the admissibility of the documents.
A breakdown of the tendered and admitted documents showed that Forms EC8A were tendered in 15 Local Government Areas of Rivers State, 23 in Benue State, 18 in Cross River State, 23 in Niger State, 20 in Osun State and 16 in Ekiti Local Government Areas.
A further hearing in the petition has been shifted to 2nd June (today) by the court at the instance of the two Petitioners.
Eighteen-Eleven Media