The Labour Party and the PDP have taken their protest against the conduct of the just concluded elections to the United States with Datti Baba-Ahmed, Ifeanyi Okowa, Pat Utomi, Aisha Yesufu, and others, expected to speak at the event billed to hold between 6th and 8th of May, 2023.

The event is scheduled to hold at the White House and will feature a World Press Conference by NADECO.

Ahead of the take off of legal battles challenging the outcome of the 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria, the two main contenders, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) and the Labour Party ( LP) will this week take the fight to reclaim their “mandate” out of the shores of Nigeria to far away United States of America.

The event which is also tagged “Mother of all protest rallies,” is being put together by “The Coalition of Nigerian Organisations in the United States” and is expected to take place at the White House Lafayette Square between May 6 and 8, 2023.

BusinessDay gathered that it would be followed by a World press conference, to be hosted by the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), World Conference

The mega protest rally, will also see several Nigerians from the political and economic spheres speaking to global audience on the current political situation in the country

Those listed to speak at the rally with the theme: ‘Democracy Under Threats in Nigeria,’ include the Vice Presidential candidates of the two leading political parties, including Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP)’s Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and that of the Labour Party (LP), Datti Baba-Ahmed.

Others include the Director-General of the PDP campaign Council and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, Pedro Obaseki, the PDP Director, Research and Strategy, Pat Utomi, a Labour Party Chieftain, Valentine Ozigbo of the Labour Party, as well as Aisha Yesufu, a business woman and an activist.

The World Press Conference with the Theme: “Nigeria at a Crossroads: 2023 Elections Postmortem, Issues, Contradictions, and Solutions,” will take place at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, 13th Floor, Washington DC 20045.

The rally and speeches are expected to focus on several topics, including “Nigerians Eye on Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Nigerians Eye on Court of Appeal, Nigerians Eye on Supreme Court and Nigerians Eye on Police, Military, and DSS”

This is coming ahead of the commencement of the legal battles involving the three main political parties, namely the ruling All Progressive Congress ( APC), the PDP and the LP, as well as the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

BusinessDay search reveals that all the four interested parties have put together a team comprising 90 Senior lawyers, mainly Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to do the legal battles.

Sections 132 (7) and ( of the Electoral Act 2022, allows for petitions to be filed within 21 days after the declaration of results. The respondents have 21 days to respond, while the court has 180 days to decide.

The Federal Government have put together, a team of senior judicial officers drawn from State High Court, FCT High Court, Federal High Court and National Industrial Court, to preside over the Petition Tribunals.

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) sitting in Abuja, the nation’s capital, is made up of five Justices of the Court of Appeal to be led by the President of the Court, Bolna’an Dongban-Mensem.

Other members include Justices Haruna Tsammani, Jonah Adah, Bello Mohammed and Joseph Ikyegh.

The President – elect and the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu tops the pack with an assemblage of over 50 lawyers, followed by the PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar’s 19, while the LP candidate, Peter Obi has 12 and INEC 9, all within the ranks of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

This shows that while the President- elect Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who are defending the election have 59 lawyers, the two main Petitioners who are the main opposition candidates have a combined team of 31 lawyers, all made up of Senior Advocates of Nigeria ( SAN).

Renowned legal practitioner, Wole Olanipekun is leading the legal team of Bola Tinubu, which comprised of Akin Olujimi, Yusuf Ali, Lateef Fagbemi, A.U Mustapha, Ahmed Raji, Abiodun Owonikoko, Kemi Pinheiro, and Niyi Akintola.

Other are H.M. Liman, Taiwo Osipitan, Babatunde Ogala, Roland Otaru , James Onoja, Muiz Banire, Olusola Oke and Mohammed Abubakar.

BusinessDay gathered that INEC, with a budget of over N3bn to defend the results of the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections and the March 18 governorship and state assembly polls, has put together, a team of lawyers comprising nine Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

The former Nigerian Bar Association President, Abubakar Mahmoud, is leading the INEC team comprising Stephen Adehi, Oluwakemi Pinheiro, Miannaya Essien, and Abdullahi Aliyu
Others are Garba Hassan, Musa Attah, and Patricia Obi.

On the other hand, leading the Atiku’s legal team is Kyari Gadzama, who is leading others including Chris Uche (SAN), Paul Usoro (SAN), Tayo Jegede (SAN), Ken Mozia (SAN), Mike Ozekhome (SAN), Mahmood Magaji (SAN), Joe Abraham (SAN), Chukwuma Umeh (SAN), Garba Tetengi (SAN) and Emeka Etiaba (SAN).

Others are Goddy Uche (SAN), Maxwell Gidado (SAN); the National Legal Adviser of the PDP, A. K. Ajibade (SAN), O. M. Atoyebi, (SAN), Nella Rabana (SAN), Paul Ogbole (SAN), Nuremi Jimoh (SAN), and Abdul Ibrahim (SAN).
Peter Obi’s legal team, also made up of Senior Advocates of Nigeria ( SAN), has Livy Uzoukwu, Awa Kalu, Onyechi Ikpeazu, P.I.N. Ikwueto, Ben Anyachebe, S.T. Hon, Arthur Okafor, Ik Ezechukwu, J.S. Okutepa, Valerie Azinge, Emeka Okpoko, and Alex Ejesieme.

Amongst the several issues, PDP and the LP are challenging the independent National Electoral Commission’s declaration of the APC candidate, Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 Presidential election, asserting that that the election was conducted in gross violation of provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act.

The PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar has also filed a petition, urging the tribunal to “ disqualify the APC candidate and President elect, Nola Tinubu on the grounds of “ dual citizenship” for holding a Passport of Republic of Guinea,

Relying on Section 137 (1)(a) of the Nigerian Constitution which says a “person will not be qualified to be president if “he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria.” the PDP candidate urged the tribunal to disqualify Tinubu as he was not qualified to seek the Nigeria’s highest office in the first instance

But INEC in their response, declared that presidential election was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act, 2022.

Both the APC and INEC, in their separate replies to the LP and Obi petition’s asked the court to deny them all the reliefs sought on the grounds that their petition is “devoid of any merit and also founded on frivolity”.

The APC also filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection to the hearing of the petition on the grounds that the petition is incompetent and lacking in merit,

The party also queried tribunal’s power to hear the petition, adding that it lacked necessary jurisdiction to entertain it in the first place.

Amongst others, APC claimed that the Labour Party lacked the necessary locus standi to initiate the suit against the outcome of the presidential election on the grounds that it did “not present a valid candidate for that election.”

Thomas Ojo, filing the APC’s response from the chambers of Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, claimed that Obi was still a member of the PDP as at the time he was sponsored by the Labour Party.

“The 1st Petitioner herein resigned his membership of the PDP on May 26, 2022 and joined the Labour Party the following day being May 27, 2022.

“The 2nd Petitioner herein conducted its Presidential Primary on May 30, 2022 which produced the 1st Petitioner as the candidate it intended to sponsor in the General Election

“By section 77(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the 2nd Petitioner is mandated to have submitted its comprehensive register of members to the Ist Respondent 30 days before its presidential primary That is to say the said register of members must have been submitted to the Ist Respondent on or before 30th April, 2022.

“The 1st Petitioner as at April 30, 2022 was still a member of the PDP and his name was not and could not have been in the register of members submitted by the 2nd Petitioner to 1st Respondent”.

In another ground, APC argued that the LP and Obi’s petition was defective because they failed to include candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the Presidential election with 6,984,520 votes as against the petitioners who came third with 6,101,533 votes.

It is the APC’s submission that “For the Tribunal to grant prayer (iii) of the Petitioners, the Tribunal must have set aside the scores and election of Alhaji: Atiku Abubakar;

“Ahaji Atiku Abubakar must be heard before his votes can be discountenanced by the Tribunal.

“The petition is incompetent for failure to join as a party to the petition the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar the Ist runner up and his political party People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as a Respondent whose right would be affected by the reliefs sought in the petition.”

https://businessday.ng/politics/article/2023-poll-pdp-lp-take-protests-to-us/

Awon oni yeye

Convergence of PLP. Mother of all rally in far away USA

Cart before the horse

Btw, why is Eluup missing in action, fear of being detained again?

United in defeat.
Yẹyẹ people

While i voted l.p, i want to ask if Na u.s dem conduct elections? Donald trump don come africa to campaign against rigging?These guys are foolish oh. Even Our governor okowa wey don borrow to steal tire keep tire, for sheriff and next 10 generations to pay, still wan go u.s go give talk. If they truly love the people, they should take every supporter along to hold rally in u.s. I don talk my own

Hahaha 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Clowns! Na really PLP. Let them go to Australia when they're done with the US.

Stolen mandate must be recovered

helinues:
Convergence of PLP

Cart before the horse

I’m not surprised that you people are the first to rush the thread.

It’s because of the heart attack that I’m sure this news is going to cause in your camp.

I’m sure you guys thought Datti was no longer with Peter Obi in the pursuit of their mandate just like you thought during the election.

Now, you guys are seeing a unified onslaught against Tinubu for stealing the Mandate of Nigerians.

Everything is pointing to the fact that Tinubu might not be inaugurated on May 29th. He might never get to even answer president for a single day despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bribe INEC and security agents to fraudulent get him announced.

See, after Tinubu is humiliated, nobody will EVER think of nor attempt what Tinubu did in the last election.

Ana Enwe Obodo Enwe!

Penguin2:

I’m not surprised that you people are the first to rush the thread.

It’s because of the heart attack that I’m this news is going to cause in your camp.

I’m sure you guys thought Datti was no longer with Peter Obi in the pursuit of their mandate just like you thought during the election.

Now, you guys are seeing a unified onslaught against Tinubu for stealing the Mandate of Nigerians.

Everything is pointing to the fact that Tinubu might not be inaugurated on May 29th. He might never get to even answer president for a single day despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bribe INEC and security agents to fraudulent get him announced.

See, after Tinubu is humiliated, nobody will EVER think of nor attempt what Tinubu did in the last election.

Ana Enwe Obodo Enwe!

Summary of the epistle?

This epistle long fa, na for Monday morning you carry politics matter for head like this.

Another confidently epistle

Oh lala
Oh my mynd

Ashiwaju Jagaban Presido

APC and their Band of Thieves/Rogues will not like dis @All.

Hmmmmm i remember when i went to my grand mother's place for a meeting she told me alot by saying that a day will come when many people from far and near will just waste their time reading my comments.

I voted obi but I am disappointed with this joint protest with pdp. Pdp rigged in their states so much. Let's get serious please. Imagine okowa speaking against rigging

What is your concern where they choose to protest? Are you not wise to know that you protest where you think will make the maximum impact?

Creamypie:
Na u.s dem conduct elections? These guys are foolish oh

The association of confused losers can take their yeye protest to the pit of hell we don't care.
I believe they should have waited small for the reply of their letters Why so in hurry, the POTUS is already busy with his campaign too so you losers should go and sit down somewhere.

simply put " PDP and his children"

The days of leaving everything to God has passed. We will not rest until our mandate is restored

When are they going to UN, EU, ECOWAS and Commonwealth?

These political actors knows what they are doing, their action is not because of 2023 presidential election in which they knew deep down they lost, but future elections in 2027.

The plan is to discredit election that brought Tinubu administration into power and his government by making their gullible supporters believe their stolen mandate by current government must be recover in 2027 General elections. They will be more aggressive in this campaign the moment they lost in court. They will continue this rhetoric, couple with eyes service philanthropic and make it core subject to campaign against Asiwaju in 2027.

It is so unfortunate that only few people, particular youths that suppose to be more politically intelligent actually know the trick of these cunning politicians. Let be honest with ourselves, non of these guys, Atiku or Obi has anything to offer when giving chance. Obi in particular would've filled his government with inexperience dull people like Aisha Yesufu and her likes. They would've made alot of unrealistic theoretical policies, just like Emefiele has been doing for the past 8 years to further destroy our already poor economic road map. Obi also lacks leadership skill to operate at federal level, you may argue with me but that is just it.

The only person with great leadership skill and antecedents, who can turn around the mess created by Buhari has been given the mandate, let all rally support for him and see how it goes

Only a blind person will say APC and INEC did not rig the election. Its actually visible to the blind!

modernWays:
These political actors knows what they are doing, their action is not because of 2023 presidential election in which they knew deep down they lost, but future elections in 2027.

The plan is to discredit election that brought Tinubu administration into power and his government by making their gullible supporters believe their stolen mandate by current government must be recover in 2027 General elections. They will be more aggressive in this campaign the moment they lost in court. They will continue this rhetoric, couple with eyes service philanthropic and make it core subject to campaign against Asiwaju in 2027.

It is so unfortunate that only few people, particular youths that suppose to be more politically intelligent actually know the trick of these cunning politicians. Let be honest with ourselves, non of these guys, Atiku or Obi has anything to offer when giving chance. Obi in particular would've filled his government with inexperience dull people like Aisha Yesufu and her likes. They would've made alot of unrealistic theoretical policies, just like Emefiele has been doing for the past 8 years to further destroy our already poor economic road map. Obi also lacks leadership skill to operate at federal level, you may argue with me but that is just it.

The only person with great leadership skill and antecedents, who can turn around the mess created by Buhari has been given the mandate, let all rally support for him and see how it goes

Penguin2:

I’m not surprised that you people are the first to rush the thread.

It’s because of the heart attack that I’m sure this news is going to cause in your camp.

I’m sure you guys thought Datti was no longer with Peter Obi in the pursuit of their mandate just like you thought during the election.

Now, you guys are seeing a unified onslaught against Tinubu for stealing the Mandate of Nigerians.

Everything is pointing to the fact that Tinubu might not be inaugurated on May 29th. He might never get to even answer president for a single day despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bribe INEC and security agents to fraudulent get him announced.

See, after Tinubu is humiliated, nobody will EVER think of nor attempt what Tinubu did in the last election.

Ana Enwe Obodo Enwe!

Una go cry tire. Trump and his supporters are still protesting the last Presidential election till date, yet Joseph Bideni is contesting for 2nd term.

People Labour Party PLP. Committee of bad lovers.

DMerciful:
Only a blind person will say APC and INEC did not rig the election. Its actually visible to the blind!

Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, and Abia nko? Whom did INEC rig for there?

We await the reclamation of our stolen mandate

Why did APC and Tinubu not counter petition the votes from SE like you people were alleging

Printerscanner:


Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, and Abia nko? Whom did INEC rig for there?

Chekwume16:
I voted obi but I am disappointed with this joint protest with pdp. Pdp rigged in their states so much. Let's get serious please. Imagine okowa speaking against rigging

LP should stay far far away from PDP
We don't call that party and their deadly twin 'PDAPC' for nothing.

Terrible political parties, those two

DMerciful:
Only a blind person will say APC and INEC did not rig the election. Its actually visible to the blind!

What make you think they rigged it?

Are you one of INEC senior staffs to have known this?

Election is secret ballot, how are you so sure of who each person voted for?

What make you think the opposition that have been splitting into 4 (NNDP, LP, PDP and G5) will defeat rulling party with all structure intact?

It is because of you and your like that these stupid politicians are still in the business. It is irritated to see a suppose intelligent youth shouting stolen mandate, while he/she chose to be deliberately deceive by those he/she is probably smarter than.

The earlier people analyse politic themselves, the better for them to avoid being control ike goats by politicians.

Penguin2:

I’m not surprised that you people are the first to rush the thread.

It’s because of the heart attack that I’m sure this news is going to cause in your camp.

I’m sure you guys thought Datti was no longer with Peter Obi in the pursuit of their mandate just like you thought during the election.

Now, you guys are seeing a unified onslaught against Tinubu for stealing the Mandate of Nigerians.

Everything is pointing to the fact that Tinubu might not be inaugurated on May 29th. He might never get to even answer president for a single day despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars to bribe INEC and security agents to fraudulent get him announced.

See, after Tinubu is humiliated, nobody will EVER think of nor attempt what Tinubu did in the last election.

Ana Enwe Obodo Enwe!

Oh I'm afraid, US will take over Nigeria before May 29th, a sovereign Nation?? You guys are jokers I swear!

Senseless people,na so US people dey come talk about their own affairs for your own country?.that’s not when you feel those people are superior to you.
US that have not interfered in the war in Sudan,you are going to protest the election in Nigeria there.this datti self...na disgrace.

helinues:
Convergence of PLP. Mother of all rally in far away USA

Cart before the horse

Btw, why is Eluup missing in action, fear of being detained again?

The whole world must be aware of the electoral fraud that took place in Nigeria in the just concluded presidential SELECTION.
Nigerians came all out to boot out incompetence and corruption but they ganged up against the good people of Nigeria using INEC to subvert the process, not minding whether their prefared candidate is physical fit to pilot the affairs of the country or not.

Moferere:
United in defeat.
Yẹyẹ people

simply summarised