The Nigerian Presidential Election Petition Court has announced plans to consolidate all three opposition petitions challenging the outcome of the presidential election of February 25, 2023, against President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC).
During a prehearing on Saturday, the Abuja-based court said it was empowered by the Electoral Act of Nigeria to consolidate and hear simultaneously all the petitions filed on behalf of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labor Party and Osita Charles Nnadi of the Action Peoples Party (APP).
Chris Uche, head of the legal team of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, asked the tribunal for more time to consult with his client and the PDP. Abubakar finished second in the presidential race with a total of 6,984,520 votes (29.07%).
"We, ask for a stand down or an adjournment so that we can explore the modalities since it is like a marriage which is a union between two consenting adults," the lawyer appealed to the five-member judicial panel.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Mahmoud, counsel to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), welcomed the planned consolidation of the three petitions by the Presidential Election Petition Court.
"We are happy with the provision of the law, and we are also happy with whatever position your lordships will take with respect to this matter," Mahmoud told the judicial panel led by Judge Haruna Tsammani.
On the other hand, Roland Otaru, head of the legal team representing President-elect Tinubu and his running mate, Vice President-elect Senator Kashim Shettima, asked the court for time to consult with his clients.
On March 1, Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the All Progressives Congress candidate, Tinubu, the winner of the February 25 presidential election with 8,794,726 votes (36%).
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, came in second with a total of 6,984,520 votes (29.07%), while Peter Obi of the Labor Party took third place with a total of 6,101,533 votes (25.4%). Meanwhile, Charles Nnadi of the Action Peoples Party received only 0.5% of the votes and ended last among all the 18 candidates for the 2023 presidential election.
The opposition petitions argued that the vote was marred by numerous violations of the law and other irregularities. Although legal challenges to elections are common in the West African country, Nigeria's Supreme Court has never annulled the results of a presidential election.