PDP states withdraw Supreme Court case challenging Tinubu’s victory

The seven state governments ruled by the governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have dropped their demands to have the results of the February 25 election reviewed by the Supreme Court.

The state governments – Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Taraba and Sokoto – have sued the federal government at the Supreme Court over the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Attorneys General of these states filed the suit asking the Supreme Court to intervene in the recently concluded general elections. He based his claim on the possible breakdown of public order and civil disobedience.

The suit challenged the declaration of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as president-elect.

But Mike Ozekhome, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who filed the suit on behalf of seven countries, filed to end the case on Friday.

In a text message shared with PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Ozekhome explained that the claim was filed “during the flawed manual collection of results contrary to the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, INEC Guidelines and Regulations and the manual for INEC officials”.

He said the lawsuit should be stopped “because of the fact that the flawed results have been announced and the president-elect announced them, even though they are illegal and unconstitutional.”

He said, with the declaration, the case has been taken and “now it will be a court matter (election petition).

“Notice that the plaintiffs hereby discontinue this suit against the defendant herein,” said a notice sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday night.

PREMIUM TIMES reports how Atiku and Peter Obi started a legal challenge over the results of Friday’s election.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Friday granted two opposition candidates access to inspect their electoral records.

At Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Mr. Tinubu as the winner of Nigeria’s presidential election.

Mr. Tinubu who is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated Atiku of the PDP and Mr. Obi of the Labor Party in the February 25 presidential election.

But Atiku and Mr. Obi denied the results of the presidential poll. He accused INEC of failing to upload election results in real time from polling units to the portal.

Suit

In a case that was stopped before the Supreme Court, the PDP states – Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Taraba and Sokoto – states sued the federal government at the Supreme Court, questioning the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu’s declaration of Mr. Tinubu as president the chosen one.

The plaintiffs named the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the defendant on behalf of the federal government.

He asked the Supreme Court to declare that the presidential poll violated the provisions of the Election Law and the constitution.