The ongoing Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has witnessed a significant development as Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, speaks out in response to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) call for Peter Obi of the Labour Party to be excluded from a potential election rerun.
During the adoption of their Final Written Address on Tuesday, August 1, the attorneys representing the ruling APC, including Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the President’s Lead Counsel, urged the five-man panel of Tribunal Justices to limit the participation in a repeat election to only the top two vote-getters and exclude the candidate who came in third, in this case, Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
In a statement to reporters outside the courtroom, Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, the Lead Counsel for Peter Obi, countered the APC’s appeal, asserting that it is a Constitutional question that should be left to the interpretation of the Appeal Court Justices. He further expressed his team’s efforts to secure a favorable ruling for the Labour Party, indicating that they have done everything within their power to present a strong case.
As Nigerians closely follow the proceedings at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, the arguments put forth by both sides are expected to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of the election rerun.
He said, “You know that’s a constitutional matter, and we’ve talked about it enough already. So, it is for the court to decide. We offered numerous supporting arguments.
The court’s decision will stand as final. However, what really matters is that we made a strong and persuasive case”.