Peter Obi Lacks Right To Contest My Victory, Tinubu Tells Tribunal

President-elect, Bola Tinubu, is challenging the right of
the Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, to fault his victory at the February
25 presidential election.

In his response to the petition by Obi and the Labour Party,
he argued that the former Anambra State government was not a lawful member of
the LP as of the time he contested on the party’s platform, and lacks the locus
standi to challenge the outcome of the exercise.

He queried the competence of Obi’s petition and prayed the
court to dismiss it.

His team of lawyers led by Wole Olanikpekun added that as of
24th May 2022, six days before the primary election of the Labour Party
purportedly held to produce/elect Obi as the presidential candidate of the
party for the presidential election held on 25th February 2023, Obi was still a
card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and he did not
resign his membership of the said party until 24th May 2022.

They added that as of 30 days before Labour Party’s
presidential primary, Obi was still a presidential aspirant in the PDP.

They also argued that the grounds on which the petition is
predicated are incompetent, thereby denying the court the needed jurisdiction.

The President-elect also contended that the reliefs being
sought by the petitioners are not only incompetent but also ungrantable.

They also argued that the claim by Obi and his party that
Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election was outside the issue the
court could deal with because it falls within the precinct of pre-election
issues.

He further argued that Tinubu was never convicted as claimed
by Peter Obi.

He further argued that he is not currently under sentence of
death imposed by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria or sentence
of imprisonment or fine for any offence involving dishonesty or fraud imposed
by any competent court of law or tribunal in Nigeria.

He further pointed out that Obi did not disclose any fact
showing that within a -period of fewer than 10 years before the date of the
election to the office of President, Tinubu had been sentenced for an offence
involving dishonesty or had been found guilty of the contravention of the code
of conduct.

He also faulted the claim by the petitioners that Tinubu’s
running mate Kashim Shettima was not qualified to stand for election in view of
his alleged double nomination.

They equally faulted the petitioners’ questioning of the
manner Tinubu appointed his running mate.