REVEALED : Why PDP Governors withdrew suit challenging Presidential elections
The legal counsel for the seven states that dragged the federal government to the Supreme Court against Tinubu’s victory at last Saturday’s presidential election has explained why they withdrew the suit.
In apparent displeasure with INEC’s announcement of Tinubu as the president-elect, the seven states namely Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Sokoto and Taraba, had approached the Supreme Court to compel INEC to declare the election that produced Tinubu as invalid over alleged rigging and disenfranchisement of many Nigerians.
The seven states had claimed in the suit that INEC did not follow the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the guidelines for the 2023 general elections, particularly uploading of results to the IREV through the BVAS, in declaring Tinubu the winner.
Among other reliefs, they had sought “A declaration that the entire results of the Presidential Election conducted on the 25th of February, 2023 announced by the Chairman of INEC at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, in flagrant violation of the provisions of Sections 25; 47(2); 60 (1), (2), (4) & (5); 62; 64(4)(a) & (b); 70; and 148 of the Electoral Act, 2022, governing the 2023 nationwide general elections, particularly paragraphs 38 of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and paragraphs 2.8.4; 2.9.0; and 2.9.1 of the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023, for the conduct of the Presidential Election, were invalid, null and void, and of no effect whatsoever.”
But in a new statement on Friday, the senior lawyer noted that the matter was withdrawn from court, because it had been overtaken by events.
The lawyer said it was filed praying the Supreme Court to compel the Attorney General of the Federation and the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to halt the collation and announcement of results due to irregularities in the election.
“But with the declaration of the winner, we realised that the matter was stale because the court does not have the original jurisdiction to hear presidential election disputes.”
“So, we have decided to incorporate the arguments there to the individuals we are going to be representing at the tribunal.”
