Tribunal: How Tinubu, INEC Defended Victory, Integrity Of Polls With One Witness Apiece

The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) is entering a phase of final written arguments, marking a decline in legal battles. The five-member panel, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, has instructed lawyers and petitioners to prepare their final written addresses.

A final written address is a legal submission presented by parties at the conclusion of the hearing. It outlines their arguments and why they believe the judgment should be in their favor.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened and closed its defense with a single witness, Lawrence Bayode, an Assistant Director in the commission’s Information Technology Department. Bayode maintained that the presidential election was conducted fairly, and the integrity of the election was not compromised despite technical glitches in the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

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President Bola Tinubu’s defense relied heavily on the testimony of Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, who tendered exhibits and addressed discrepancies in the votes received by Tinubu in Kano State. Bamidele also referred to international reports, including one from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which criticized the transparency and inclusiveness of the election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) unexpectedly chose not to call any witnesses, with their lead counsel, Lateef Fagbemi, stating that further testimony was unnecessary.

The court has given the respondents 10 days to file their final written addresses, followed by seven days for the petitioners to file their own brief of argument. The respondents will then have five days to respond on points of law if desired. The court set a maximum limit of 40 pages for the written addresses, but parties can file separate addresses of up to 10 pages for any objections raised during the hearing.

The date for the adoption of the addresses and the final judgment will be communicated to all parties.

Atiku Abubakar came in second place in the presidential contest, while Peter Obi and the Labour Party placed third. The petitioners seek the withdrawal of the certificate of return issued to Tinubu by INEC, alleging inconsistencies in Tinubu’s personal details and the non-disclosure of his dual citizenship.

The respondents argue that the petitions are incompetent and lack merit and have urged the court to dismiss them.