In the capital city, FCT Abuja, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is facing accusations of failing to substantiate his claim of achieving the highest vote in the February 2023 presidential polls. Despite securing the third position, trailing behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Obi has persistently presented multiple petitions to the presidential elections tribunal in an attempt to be declared the winner.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has strongly contested Obi’s petitions. The legal representative of INEC, Abubakar Mahmoud, has dismissed the credibility of Obi’s arguments and evidence, asserting that they lack merit.
Among the issues brought forward by Obi’s legal team were the qualification of Vice President Kashim Shettima due to an alleged double nomination, as well as drug trafficking allegations against President Tinubu. In response, Mahmoud clarified that a written letter was previously sent to INEC, notifying them of Shettima’s withdrawal as the Borno Central Senatorial District candidate of the APC, thereby enabling him to accept the Vice Presidential ticket of the party. It was also disclosed that Shettima voluntarily stepped back from his ambition as a lawmaker in the national assembly.
