Nigeria APC Wants Obi Challenge Stopped

FILE: Labor Party presidential candidate Peter Obi (C) talks to the media at his house in Amatutu on February 25, 2023.

ABUJA - Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party has asked the Appeals Court to dismiss a petition by third-placed candidate Peter Obi who is challenging the victory of president-elect Bola Tinubu following a disputed election in February, court documents showed on Tuesday.

The APC said in a countersuit on Tuesday that losing candidate Peter Obi's petition should be dismissed on several grounds, including that Obi was not a Labor Party member when he contested the elections and that he failed to include People's Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Atiku as a respondent, making his petition "incompetent."

Obi, who came third in the election, and second-placed Abubakar last month separately challenged the results in court.

The two candidates said the results were fraudulent, citing Tinubu, his ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

The Appeals Court has yet to nominate judges who will constitute a tribunal to hear the presidential election petitions and deliver a verdict within 180 days from the date the court challenges were filed last month.

Obi, who was Atiku's running mate in 2019, left the PDP in May last year to join the Labor Party. The APC is arguing that Obi was not yet a member when Labor Party submitted its members register to the electoral commission as required by law.

The ruling party is yet to respond to Atiku's petition.