In response to the recent Presidential Election tribunal verdict, the Labour Party, led by Alhaj Lamidi Apapa, has gracefully accepted the outcome. The party expressed its concerns about its Presidential candidate’s pursuit of what they deemed a futile endeavor.
Dr. Abayomi Arabambi, the national publicity secretary of the Labour Party, conveyed the party’s disappointment in Mr. Peter Obi’s legal team for failing to provide sound advice before pursuing the tribunal route. Arabambi stated that the entire process had been a time-consuming exercise.
Arabambi criticized Obi for allegedly neglecting to fund the party adequately for the required polling agents and for filing witnesses outside the stipulated time. He insinuated that Obi’s motive for going to the tribunal was to justify the funds he had collected during the campaign, suggesting that these funds had been misused.
Arabambi lamented Obi’s inability to convince the Tribunal regarding the alleged polling unit irregularities. The tribunal ruled that Obi had made generic allegations of irregularities without specifying the affected polling units.
Furthermore, the court dismissed a report from the EU presented by Peter Obi, stating that it was not tendered by the official author and custodian of the document. The tribunal also mentioned that Atiku Abubakar and the PDP had previously submitted the same report.
In a surprising revelation, the tribunal affirmed that the Nigeria Police, through its IGP, had written to the US to confirm the criminal status of Bola Tinubu, with the US government responding that Tinubu had no criminal records in the US. This seemed to support the Labour Party’s previous position.
The Labour Party agreed with the tribunal’s decision to dismiss the claim regarding blurred result sheets, arguing that the party should have had agents at every polling unit to secure copies of the result sheets.
Regarding Peter Obi’s request that 25% of the FCT vote is necessary for a president to be declared, the tribunal clarified that Abuja is equal to every other state in Nigeria, emphasizing equal rights for all residents.
In conclusion, the Labour Party expressed its acceptance of the tribunal’s verdict and its commitment to self-reflection and improvement. They acknowledged the need to revisit their strategies and rectify their shortcomings.