Labour Occasion candidate heads to Supreme Court docket to problem ruling social gathering candidate’s victory in February ballot.

Nigeria’s opposition Labour Occasion candidate Peter Obi has filed a court docket petition difficult the end result of final month’s disputed presidential election that was received by the ruling social gathering, a spokesperson from his social gathering mentioned on Tuesday.

Obi, who campaigned as an outsider, galvanised many younger and first-time voters however got here third within the election, behind winner Bola Tinubu from the ruling All Progressives Congress social gathering and most important opposition Individuals’s Democratic Occasion’s Atiku Abubakar. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Individuals’s Occasion (NNPP) got here a distant fourth however was nonetheless forward of 14 different candidates.

“We’re difficult the {qualifications} of the candidate that was declared the winner. We’re additionally difficult the processes that led to his declaration because the winner, amongst others,” Labour Occasion spokesperson Yunusa Tanko informed journalists.

Election observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth, and different our bodies reported a spread of issues, amongst them failures in techniques designed to stop vote manipulation.

The observers criticised the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) for poor planning and voting delays, however they didn’t allege fraud. The fee itself apologised for technical issues in the course of the depend.

The presidential race was seen as essentially the most aggressive in Nigeria’s political historical past, with Obi and Kwankwaso posing a reputable problem to the 2 conventional most important events.

“I’ll problem this rascality for the way forward for the nation,” Obi mentioned at a press convention on March 2. “This isn’t the top however the starting of the journey for the beginning of a brand new Nigeria.”

Later that day Abubakar additionally signified his intention to contest the election however it’s unsure if he has filed a go well with to that impact but.

The Supreme Court docket of Nigeria has by no means overturned a presidential election, although authorized challenges are widespread, together with by outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, who doggedly and unsuccessfully fought a number of election losses for months in useless.

Barring any resolution on the contrary from the courts, Tinubu will probably be sworn in on Might 29 as successor to Buhari who has been in energy since 2015.