Tinubu to address Nigerians today as presidential tribunal set to deliver judgement

Special adviser to the president on special duties, communication, and strategy, Dele Alake, has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be addressing Nigerians today, Monday July 31,2023 at 7pm.

Dele Alake made this known in a statement released on Monday morning.

According to the statement, the presidential spokesperson urged television stations, radio stations and other electronic media outlets to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast.

This will be President Tinubu’s second broadcast since he assumed office on May 29.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has expressed readiness to deliver judgement on the three petitions seeking to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election.

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The presidential tribunal on Monday morning, made an order directing all parties involved in the case to appear before it tomorrow to present their final briefs of argument, pending the final fixing of the date for judgement.

Recall that the former Vice President and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar as well as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi in the 2023 general elections, both filed separate petitions seeking the nullification of President Tinubu’s victory at the polls.

To that end, the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel after undergoing several due processes within the timeframe given it by law, has invited the parties to adopt their written address regarding the petition against the President.

President Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the presidential election held on February 25, with 8,794,726 votes, defeating the two major contenders, Atiku and Obi of the PDP and LP respectively.

Both parties were however, dissatisfied with the outcome of the election and therefore, sought redress in court.

Both petitioners had claimed they won the presidential elections while questioning Tinubu’s eligibility to contest the election.

Also under review at the PEPC has been one of the petitioner’s query regarding vote casts secured by President Tinubu during the elections.

The petitioners argued that Tinubu failed to secure the majority of lawful votes cast in the election especially, the mandatory 25% votes cast which he ought to have secured in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Tinubu is the first president to be declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC without securing 25% votes cast in the FCT, the petitioners have reiterated since the commencement of the case.

Both parties are seeking the court to declare that Tinubu did not secure the majority of lawful votes cast in the election and request the withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to him by INEC. Alternatively, they ask the court to order a fresh presidential election, excluding Tinubu, whom they argue was not qualified to participate in the poll.

Under the Electoral Act 2022, candidates aggrieved by the election outcome must file a petition within 21 days after the result is declared by INEC, and the court is required to deliver its judgment in writing within 180 days.

Relatedly, the court had on July 5, concluded its hearing of both Atiku and Obi’s petitions.