Presidential Candidate Peter Obi Stands Firm Against Threats of Anarchy in Ongoing Election Petition Case
ABUJA/Nigeria: In the midst of the ongoing case at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), Peter Obi, the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25, 2023 election and first petitioner, has responded resolutely to the threat of anarchy posed by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the 2nd and 3rd Respondents in the petition, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. The contentious issue revolves around the interpretation of the Electoral Act section 134, which the Respondents argue could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
Tinubu’s legal team, led by Wole Olanipekun, had vehemently warned that any interpretation differing from theirs would result in absurdity, chaos, anarchy, and even alter the very intention of the legislature.
In contrast, Peter Obi’s lawyers, headed by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu and Onyechi Ikpeazu, refuted this claim and asserted that the true risk of anarchy lies in the disregard or truncation of the rule of law, which, in such circumstances, allows anarchy to reign supreme.
Obi expressed concern over a specific statement made by the 2nd-3rd Respondents during the trial: “Our submission is that the Petitioners are inviting anarchy by their ventilation of this issue of non-transmission of results electronically, by INEC.” Obi’s legal team perceived this as an unwarranted attempt to target the country’s judiciary and constitutionalism, with the underlying aim of destabilizing Nigeria’s democracy.
The legal team further contended that the 2nd and 3rd Respondents’ careless and absurd statements are meant to raise concerns about insecurity if the Petitioners were to follow their example. However, they asserted that the Petitioners are disciplined, peaceful, and firmly believe in upholding the rule of law.
In response to the Respondents’ threats, Obi’s legal team questioned the offensiveness of the Petitioners canvassing a ground prescribed for challenging an election, as stipulated in section 134(1)(b) of the Electoral Act 2022. They attributed the Respondents’ heated rhetoric to desperation that has gone too far, cautioning that such extreme measures can be perilous.
In conclusion, Peter Obi remains steadfast in his principled stance against the looming threats of anarchy and reaffirms his belief in the sanctity of the rule of law throughout the ongoing election petition case at the PEPC.
