Labour Party‘s Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice-presidential candidate, has expressed doubt over the party’s chances of winning the election petition in court. The presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has filed a legal action challenging the outcome of the February 25 election. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was announced as the president-elect.
Despite finishing third in the election, Obi refused to accept the result, alleging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rigged the election. In a press conference on March 2, 2023, he vowed to prove that the election was rigged and win back his mandate.
However, Datti isn’t as optimistic about the party’s chances in court. In an interview with CNN, he expressed his lack of trust in the Nigerian judiciary system. Datti cited the controversial Supreme Court victory of the current Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, who won a senatorial election last week, as an example.
Datti stated, “I don’t trust anything our authorities are saying. I’d have loved to be singing a different song at this point. I’m a patriotic lover of my country and would do anything to improve my country, but I have no confidence in the legal system.”
Despite his reservations, Datti believes the Labour Party has a wealth of evidence that could secure victory in court. He believes that it would take more than magic for the court not to award a win to his team. However, Datti has yet to disclose the party’s strategy, and the legal team has yet to decide whether to demand a fresh election or recognition of Obi as the winner of the February 25 election.
While the PDP is also contesting the result in a separate lawsuit, Tinubu is expected to be sworn in as president before the Supreme Court makes a final ruling.
