Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Anxiety is growing among President Bola Tinubu and his presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as judgment day approaches at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC). Both candidates challenged the declaration of Tinubu as president by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and argued that he was not qualified to contest due to forfeiture of proceeds from drug trafficking, money laundering in the US, declaration of allegiance to another country, presenting a forged university certificate, perjury, and inability to win the highest votes cast in the election. Obi also alleged that Vice President Kashim Shettima was already the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Borno Central. Atiku's final address, settled by his lead counsel, Chief Chris Uche, stated that INEC's assertion that he won 21 states was neither disputed, retracted, or debunked. The former VP accused the electoral body of manipulating the election outcome in favor of Tinubu and the APC, urging the court to stand on the side of justice. Atiku's teams described Tinubu's statement as cheap, misguided, and destructive blackmail, threatening anarchy if the election was nullified. The tribunal should proceed to uphold the declaration, as the electoral umpire claimed that he won 21 states in the last presidential poll.