Atiku Abubakar’s Request
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has filed a final address at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), seeking to be declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election. Atiku claims to have won in 21 states and challenges the eligibility of the winner announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bola Tinubu, citing criminal forfeiture orders, allegiance to another country, and presentation of a forged certificate.
INEC’s Assertion
INEC, in response to Atiku’s petition, admitted that the PDP candidate won 21 states during the February 25 presidential poll. The states listed include Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Delta, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. Atiku contends that INEC’s admission should lead to the court upholding his declaration as the winner.
Grounds for Nullification
Atiku argues that the electronic transmission of results was not duly used, and the number of states he won was allegedly altered by INEC. He asserts that Bola Tinubu’s election as President was invalidated due to substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022. Atiku emphasizes that the court’s potential nullification of a presidential election for the first time in Nigeria’s history is a just course of action.
