Tribunal Verdict: Peter Obi Vows to Appeal and Continue His Quest for Justice

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal delivered on Wednesday.

Mr Obi has vowed to appeal the judgment and continue his quest for justice.

The Tribunal’s Judgment

The Tribunal, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, dismissed the petitions filed by Obi and his party challenging the outcome of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.

Meanwhile, the Tribunal upheld the victory of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Tribunal said that Obi and his party failed to prove their allegations of electoral malpractices, irregularities, and non-compliance with the Electoral Act.

The Tribunal also said that Obi and his party did not present any credible evidence to show that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election or that he submitted false information to INEC.

RELATED: 

How Tinubu Secured His Presidential Victory At The Tribunal

JUST IN: Tribunal Strikes Out Petition Seeking Tinubu’s Disqualification 

Obi’s Reaction

Obi, who addressed a press conference in Onitsha, Anambra state, on Thursday, said that he respected the views and rulings of the Tribunal, but he disagreed with its reasoning and conclusions. He said that he would challenge the judgment by way of appeal immediately, as allowed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Obi said that he was not relenting in his quest for justice, not only for himself but also for his teeming supporters all over the country whose mandate was regrettably truncated by INEC. He said that he knew that judgment was not coterminous with justice and that he hoped that the Supreme Court would reverse the verdict of the Tribunal.

Obi thanked every Nigerian who supported his cause and campaign for a New Nigeria characterized by fairness, equity, justice, the rule of law, peace, prosperity, inclusiveness, sustainable growth, and development. He said that a New Nigeria was possible and achievable.

He also thanked his legal team, the Labour Party and Obidient Family, and all those who showed up daily during the court trials. He implored Nigerians to remain focused, steadfast, and peaceful; abide by the rule of law, and understand that this matter had not reached its logical conclusion.

The Labour Party’s Position

The Labour Party also rejected the verdict of the Tribunal in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Wednesday. Ifoh said that the party watched with dismay and trepidation the dismissal of its petitions by the five-man panel of the Tribunal.

He said that the party rejected the outcome of the judgment in its entirety because justice was not served and it did not reflect the law and the desire of the people.

Ifoh said that Nigerians were witnesses to the electoral robbery that took place on February q25, 2023, which was globally condemned but the Tribunal refused to accept the obvious. He said that what was at stake was democracy and that the party would not relent until the people prevailed.

He saluted the doggedness of their team of lawyers who fearlessly exposed the wrath in their system. He said that they could only weep for democracy in Nigeria but they refused to give up on Nigeria.