Declare Election Of Tinubu As President-Elect Null And Void, Six States Tell Supreme Court –

Declare Election Of Tinubu As President-Elect Null And Void, Six States Tell Supreme Court

Declare Election Of Tinubu As President-Elect Null And Void, Six States Tell Supreme Court

Six state governments in Nigeria including Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto states have dragged the Nigerian government before the Supreme Court over the outcome of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

The six state governments under the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faulted the conduct, collation and announcement of the presidential and National Assembly election results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They, therefore, urged the Supreme Court to void and nullify the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the president-elect.

ThisDay reports that in their originating summons marked SC/CV/354/2023, the six states are asking for an order of the Supreme Court directing a holistic review of all results so far announced by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which were carried out other than through the manner prescribed by the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and the INEC Manual for Election Officials.

The suit filed by the Attorneys General of Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Sokoto States has the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, as sole respondent and was brought pursuant to Sections 6 (6) (a), 14 (2) (b), 153 (1) (F) and 232 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended); 2. Sections 25 (1), (2) and 3; Sections 60 And 66 Of The Electoral Act, 2022.

The aggrieved states argue thus: “The collation of the national election results from the 36 States of the Federation, and that of the Federal Capital Territory, for the said 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections have not been carried out in compliance with the mandatory provisions of relevant sections of the Electoral Act, 2022; the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022, made pursuant to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; and the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023.”

In the suit reportedly filed on February 28, 2023 by their lawyer, Prof Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the states argued that the agents and officials of the Nigerian government and INEC failed to transmit the collated result as according to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2022 and the INEC Manual for Election Officials requiring transmission of the results by the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

They noted that the action of the INEC was therefore in flagrant breach of the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022; and the INEC Manual for Election Officials, 2023.