September 06, (THEWILL) – There is heavy security deployment at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, ahead of the judgment on the three petitions challenging the election of President Bola Tinubu.
Heavily armed security operatives from the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NSCDC) are stationed at all entry points to the court, while men of the Department of State Services (DSS) with long lists, verify identities of everyone entering the premises.
Security is also tight in the entire Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as armed security operatives mouth roadblocks for security checks on vehicles.
The PEPC, on Monday, said it would deliver judgment on the three petitions filed by the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, respectively. The other Petitioner is the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
All the petitioners are asking the court to nullify the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election.
While Obi and Atiku are both claiming victory in the poll, they also urged the court to, in the alternative, declare a re-run election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had, on March 1, declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the presidential election.
Chairman of the INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had declared that Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rivals, Atiku of the PDP, who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Obi of the LP, with 6,101,533 votes.
The five-member panel of the court is led by Justice Haruna Tsammani. Other members of the panel-Justices include Stephen Adah, Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf, Moses Ugo, and Abba Mohammed.
At the court on Wednesday are Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, Imo and Kogi State Governors, Hope Uzodimma and Yahaya Bello, presidential candidates of the PDP and LP, Atiku and Obi, among others.
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