**Date:** September 5, 2023
*Abuja, Nigeria:*
The Nigerian military and police have issued a warning ahead of the delivery of the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Wednesday, cautioning against any unlawful actions by troublemakers.
Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, the Director of Defence Information, issued a stern warning to those contemplating violence or illegal activities on the judgment day, urging them to abandon such intentions.
The tribunal is scheduled to deliver its judgment on Wednesday regarding the petitions challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election. Tinubu was declared the president-elect on March 1 after his party secured the majority of votes in the poll.
The warning from the military and police comes amid heightened tensions surrounding the tribunal’s decision. The tribunal justices who will deliver the verdict include Justice Haruna Tsammani (Chairman), Justice Stephen Adah (Court of Appeal, Asaba Division), Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf (Court of Appeal, Asaba Division), Justice Moses Ugo (Court of Appeal, Kano), and Justice Abba Mohammed (Court of Appeal, Ibadan).
Five political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), contested Tinubu’s victory in court. Atiku Abubakar, the PDP candidate, and Peter Obi, the LP candidate, have asked the tribunal to nullify Tinubu’s victory due to alleged irregularities in thousands of polling units.
Atiku’s petition calls for the cancellation of the election and a fresh poll, citing irregularities and non-compliance with the Electoral Act. He also seeks the withdrawal of Tinubu’s certificate of return issued by INEC, arguing that Tinubu’s election is invalid.
In response, Tinubu’s legal team challenged the legal competence of Atiku’s petition and described him as a consistent serial loser who has switched political parties in search of power since 1993.
Peter Obi, in his petition, alleges flaws in the election, irregularities, and the non-qualification of Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, to contest the election.
