As the fireworks in the presidential election tribunal kicked off this week, there are seven significant issues the opposition parties are asking the judiciary to address.
Both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have approached the tribunal to reverse the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s declaration of Tinubu as the president-elect.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the keenly contested election.
Below are the seven issues the PDP and LP asked the court to determine.
Drug trafficking case and forfeiture
The opposition parties are asking the tribunal to determine if Tinubu’s forfeiture of $460,000 in the U.S. in a case related to drug trafficking is enough reason for him not to have contested the election in the first place.
25% in F.C.T.
The opposition parties claim that Tinubu’s inability to win 25% of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja is enough reason why his election can’t start. This particular argument requires a constitutional interpretation.
Forged certificate
The opposition parties have accused Tinubu of presenting fake certificates to INEC before the election. An inquiry has been initiated by the aggrieved parties to determine if the credentials presented by the president-elect are genuine.
INEC accused of compromise
The PDP and LP also accuse the electoral commission of not sticking to its rules during the election. Before the 2023 polls, INEC had assured Nigerians that all results at the polling unit would be uploaded onto a server and seen in real-time at its headquarters. This never happened.
Shettima’s double nomination
The opposition parties want the tribunal to determine if the vice-president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, was duly nominated to be Tinubu’s running mate. They argue that Shettima was already selected to be a senator before his eventual nomination as the ruling party’s vice presidential candidate.
Election rigging
The opposition parties say agents of the ruling party across the country heavily rigged the election. They also accused security agencies and INEC officials of aiding and abetting the APC in foisting Tinubu on the country as the president-elect.
Dual citizenship
Tinubu has also been accused by the opposition parties of possessing a Guinean passport. Contenders for the highest office in the land are expected not to have dual citizenship. The PDP and LP say Tinubu has breached that aspect of the constitution.
