Presidential poll: Obi, Atiku contest states won by each other at tribunal

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, is contesting the results of election in some of the 12 states won by his ex-political ally, Atiku Abubakar, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Atiku, according to the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), came first in Katsina, Adamawa, Taraba, Osun, Kaduna, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa.

But Obi is now contesting the votes in the aforementioned states.

Although Obi and his party had indicated in their petition before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) that they planned to contest results from 21 states, their lawyer, Emeka Okpoko (SAN), told the court on June 1 that the petitioners would now contest results only in 18 states.

Already, Obi and the LP have tendered certified true copies (CTCs) of election results from Osun, Adamawa, Bayesa and Akwa Ibom before the PEPC.

On June 1, Obi and his party tendered the results from Osun while they tendered results from Adamawa, Bayesa and Akwa Ibom states on June 2. Obi and the LP are also contesting results in some of the states they won, claiming that their votes were suppressed. The states include Lagos, Imo, Edo Plateau and Cross River states.

On his part, Atiku and the PDP are contesting the results of the election in all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Obi and his party won in the FCT and 11 states – Lagos, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Plateau, Imo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Abia and Ebonyi.

While Atiku and his party have tendered CTCs of results from the states before the PEPC, they have so far led oral evidence (call witnesses) in respect of Abia and Ebonyi States.

On June 1, Atiku and the PDP called the party’s State Collation Officer for Abia State during the election, Uzoma Nkem Abonta, who claimed among others, that the election was marred by a catalogue of malpractices. Atiku and his party also invited PDO’s State Collation Officer for Ebonyi State, Silas Joseph Onu, on June 2. He claimed that the presidential election in the state was marred by malpractices.

Atiku and the PDP claimed, in their petition, that “the purported results from 19,702 polling units across 36 states and Federal Capital Territory contain various forms of infractions.”

Both of them want to be declared winner of the election. Nation