The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) will join forces with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima, as they begin their defence against claims challenging Tinubu’s election victory at the Presidential Election Petition Court.

The five-man panel of the court, chaired by Justice Haruna Tsammani, will hear the case presented by the petitioners, including the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, as well as the Allied Peoples Movement and the Peoples Democratic Party with their presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Central to the dispute is the claim that INEC failed to conduct the election in accordance with the Electoral Act (2022). The petitioners argue that INEC reneged on its promise to transmit the presidential election results electronically through the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System and INEC Results Viewing Portal.

The Labour Party and Peter Obi also allege the presence of electoral malpractices during the elections, further questioning the legitimacy of the outcome.

Sources indicate that the respondents are likely to present their defence within a week, with each respondent having a designated session to present their case. The scheduling order by the court allows for a maximum of five days for the respondents to present their arguments.

Previously, the Peoples Democratic Party and Atiku Abubakar had closed their case on June 23, 2023, after presenting 27 witnesses in support of their claims. Likewise, the Labour Party and Peter Obi concluded their case on the same day, presenting 13 witnesses and submitting various documents as evidence, which were admitted by the court and marked as exhibits.