The judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which upheld the election of President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and dismissed the petitions of the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Atiku, and the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has received mixed reactions. In an interview with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Joseph Nwobike SAN, he shared his views on the judgment and the live broadcast of court proceedings.
Dr. Nwobike commended the Court of Appeal for introducing live streaming of court proceedings, which allowed the public to have more insight into the judgment. He also praised the diligence, thoroughness, and professionalism of the five-member bench led by Justice Haruna Tsammani in interpreting the law.
Regarding the dissatisfaction expressed by PDP and LP, Dr. Nwobike stated that parties are at liberty to appeal the judgment to the Supreme Court to test the decisions of the Tribunal. He encouraged all parties and their supporters to abide by the decisions of the courts.
Dr. Nwobike expressed the view that the judgments delivered by the Tribunal are unassailable and in accordance with established principles of law. However, he acknowledged that the petitioners could pursue their remedies in the Supreme Court.
On the issue of a presidential candidate scoring at least 25% of all the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Dr. Nwobike agreed with the Tribunal’s reasoning, stating that it would have created constitutional crises and impracticalities to interpret the provision differently.
Regarding the possibility of the judgment being upturned at the Supreme Court, Dr. Nwobike emphasized that it is premature to make such predictions, and the law will determine the Supreme Court’s decision based on the evidence and arguments presented during the appeal.
Overall, Dr. Nwobike praised the industry and professionalism of the Tribunal and acknowledged that the judgments would serve as a guide for electoral processes in Nigeria.