Politics
2023: Omokri alleges sabotage of ongoing petition over CJN, Tinubu links
Reno Omokri, a social activist, has alleged of a scheme to sabotage the ongoing petitions contesting the results of the Presidential elections won by Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The world was watching the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, he continued, and hoped that it would uphold the law as set forth in the Nigerian Election Act, 2022. He added that the Nigerian court should be aware of this.
The allegation was made by Omokri in a statement on Saturday.
Omokri noted that the Chief Justice, Kayode Ariwoola, is the head of the Presidential Election Petition Court, and this might lead to a sabotage of the process due to his alleged affinity for the ruling APC.
The Supreme Court, last month, denied a media report that Justice Ariwoola, met with Nigeria’s president-elect, Bola Tinubu, in London.
An online platform had reported that the CJN disguised in a wheelchair in London and met with Mr Tinubu.
Tinubu’s victory at Nigeria’s presidential election held on 25 February, is being contested in court by the presidential candidates of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
In his statement, Omokri said, “The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justuce Kayode Ariwoola, who sits at the head of the judiciary, and who has set up the PEPC, made comments, on video, praising the ruling party on November 25, 2022.
“As a result of those comments, millions of Nigerians lack confidence in his ability to spearhead a judiciary that dispenses impartial justice.
“What I humbly ask of you reading this is for you to consider using your good offices, no matter how small you think it is, to add your voice to that of millions of Nigerians, and tell the Nigerian judiciary that the world is watching the PEPC and hopes it will abide by the provision of the law as enshrined in Nigeria’s Electoral Act of 2022.”
READ ALSO:Omokri calls for arrest of Obi, Datti
He further claimed that a forensic examination of the results of the presidential election held on February 25 revealed overvoting in more than 10,000 polling places, or over 8% of all polling places.
The former presidential aide also urged Nigerians to join the millions of others who are speaking out against judicial injustice.
The statement noted the over-voting was only possible due to manual accreditation and transmission of voters and votes, rather than the legally-required electronic accreditation via Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines.
“On February 25, Nigeria held presidential elections in which the ruling party won.
“However, forensic analysis of the result of the election showed that there were over voting in more than 10,000 polling units. This represents almost 8% of all PUs.
“Evidence has been presented by both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Labour Party, LP, at the Presidential Election Petition Court that the ruling party candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was declared President-elect based largely on the votes he amassed in some of these 8% of polling units where over-voting occurred.
“Now this is very convenient, and too coincidental. And it is also unlawful.
“By virtue of Section 47 (3) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act, those results ought to have been cancelled, and the elections rescheduled for a later date when the issues with the machines would have been resolved.
“That section says: ‘Where a smart card reader or any other technological device deployed for accreditation of voters fails to function in any unit and a fresh card reader or technological device is not deployed, the election in that unit shall be cancelled and another election shall be scheduled.’”
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