Labour Party’s Peter Obi has filed a petition to obtain documents used by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the just concluded presidential elections. 

The motion exparte, dated March 2, 2023, was lodged at the Presidential Election Petition Court. A copy of the court document was obtained by Peoples Gazette.

A portion of the petition read: “Motion Exparte brought pursuant to Section 36(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,1999, Section 146 of the Electoral Act, 2002 and Paragraphs 47(1) 54 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2002 and under the inherent power of the honourable tribunal.” 

The motion exparte filed by Mr Obi aims to obtain critical documents with which he would argue his case before the election tribunal.

On Thursday, Mr Obi had vowed during a press conference that he and his party would approach the court to prove that they won the February 25 polls where he was declared thirdplaced.

Electoral office INEC on Wednesday announced Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress winner of the presidential election amidst stern protests from main opposition parties; Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party. 

They alleged that the election and vote counting were fraught with fraud as INEC failed to transmit results directly from polling units in contravention of the Electoral Act and established regulations by INEC. The European Union and other local and international observer missions have also condemned the lapses.