Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been announced as the victor of the 2023 Nigerian presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Scheduled to be inaugurated on May 29, Tinubu’s win has now sparked a legal dispute initiated by Atiku Abubakar from the People’s Democratic Party and Peter Obi from the Labour Party.
In an article featured in The Sun Newspaper, Kenneth Okonkwo, the legal representative for Peter Obi, raises concerns about Tinubu’s election. Okonkwo argues that Tinubu failed to secure the constitutional threshold in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by not receiving at least 25% of the vote there. He alleges that deliberate violations of electoral laws, the constitution, and INEC regulations were committed to create doubt regarding the election’s results.
Okonkwo further contends that history has shown that citizens are unlikely to support a government whose authority is not derived from the people. He emphasizes that if the new administration is sworn in on May 29 without INEC providing substantiating documentation for Tinubu’s designation as the winner, it will be perceived as an INEC-imposed winner rather than a president chosen by the Nigerian people. Consequently, Okonkwo urges INEC to furnish the Nigerian populace with evidence justifying Tinubu’s declaration as the election’s victor.
These assertions made by Kenneth Okonkwo shed light on the legal dispute surrounding the 2023 Nigerian presidential election. As the designated winner, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency hangs in the balance, awaiting the resolution of the lawsuit initiated by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. The concerns raised by Okonkwo regarding the alleged breaches of electoral laws and the constitutional threshold in the FCT highlight the importance of transparency and adherence to democratic processes. The outcome of this legal challenge will undoubtedly have significant implications for the credibility and legitimacy of Tinubu’s presidency, as well as for the Nigerian political landscape as a whole. As the situation unfolds, it remains crucial for INEC to address these concerns and provide the Nigerian people with the necessary documentation to support the declaration of Tinubu as the rightful winner of the election.
