Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in the last general election, has rejected the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Court, which was published on Wednesday.
Obi condemned the verdict, but commended the panel for delivering it within the timetable. He made the remarks at a press conference in Onitsha, Anambra State, on Thursday.
As a presidential candidate, I and the Labour Party will challenge this ruling immediately through the appeals process, as permitted by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The PEPC is not the ultimate authority in this matter, instead, the task lies with the Supreme Court, in which I have faith. I urge Nigerians to continue their focus, steadfastness, and commitment to peaceful processes.
Obi revealed that his legal team has already received formal instructions to appeal the PEPC’s decision. He said that he is determined to obtain justice not just for himself, but for the multitude of supporters across the country who, he claimed, were unfairly snubbed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Obi noted that solid national institutions and the public's confidence in them are indispensable to a thriving democracy, and that litigation in elections could be dramatically reduced if INEC performed its statutory duties transparently and fairly. When such bodies fail, as INEC did in this case, the judiciary becomes an impediment.
The process will require me to exhaust it before I can think otherwise, and I respect it. I’m a process person, and what we’re going through is what unites us. You can’t use a flawed assumption to make things happen, he stated.
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