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The Presidential Election Petitions Court has ruled that the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, failed to prove that they won the majority of votes in the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
In a lead judgment read by Justice Abba Bello Mohammed, the court said that the LP made general accusations of irregularities, the suppression of votes, and corrupt practices to steal their votes in Rivers, Benue, Lagos, Taraba, Imo, and Osun states, but it did not identify the polling places affected.
The court also said that the LP failed to disclose how many valid votes it actually received.
"The determination of an election is about figures," the court said.
Justice Mohammed further ruled that the LP had failed to substantiate its claims that the All Progressives Congress (APC) had received more votes than it had been entitled to.
The court's ruling is a major setback for the LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Obi had hoped to challenge the victory of the APC's candidate, Bola Tinubu, in court.
The LP has the option to appeal the court's ruling to the Supreme Court.
Here are some key takeaways from the court's ruling:
- The LP failed to prove that it won the majority of votes in the presidential election.
- The LP failed to identify the polling places where irregularities allegedly took place.
- The LP failed to disclose how many valid votes it actually received.
- The court's ruling is a major setback for the LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
The court's ruling is a significant development in the ongoing legal battle over the results of the presidential election. It remains to be seen whether the LP will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
