ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of being partial, for asking tribunal to dismiss petition against President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
Obi made the claims while replying a preliminary objection filed by electoral body at the Tribunal which appeared to be in support of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), now the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu.
He had on 2 March, 2023 announced that he would challenge the outcome of Nigeria’s presidential elections after official results awarded victory to the ruling party’s champion, Bola Tinubu.
Obi, in the case before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, faulted the electoral body for standing by Tinubu.
The former Anambra State Governor noted that both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal had in the past, cautioned INEC to place itself in a place of neutrality, remain fair and focused.
Obi further stated that it is not only an embarrassment but a repudiation of the duty of INEC, when it adorned the garb of a contestant in an election it conducted as an umpire to raise preliminary objection against an election petition.
He added that he expected the electoral body to maintain a neutral stand in all litigations where participants in elections are challenging the outcome of the elections and not indulge in filling objections to the petition.
Obi further described as misconceived INEC’s preliminary objection against the petition he lodged against the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the presidential election.