The legal battle over the February 25 presidential election has taken on a new dimension. A combined team of 51 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) has been engaged by the Labour Party (LP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Sources within the three parties say that these legal luminaries, drawn from different chambers, are being supplied with materials that could be presented as evidence in court.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that APC candidate and President‑elect Bola Tinubu won the contested election, polling 8,794,726 votes. He defeated PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar, who received 6,984,520 votes, and LP flag‑bearer Peter Obi, who garnered 6,101,533 votes. Both Atiku and Obi rejected the results, each claiming at separate press conferences that the election was marred by violence and massive rigging. The dispute intensified last Friday when the two opposition candidates sought court permission to inspect the election materials used during the poll. A few days later, Tinubu’s camp also applied to the court for access to the same materials, alleging illegality on the part of the opposition.
In an exclusive interview, Labour Party National Secretary Umar Farouk said that several of the party’s legal counsels have voluntarily expressed interest in joining the fight to prove Obi’s case. He accused INEC of losing its independence through alleged collusion with the APC, which he says handed the victory to Tinubu. Farouk emphasized that the LP’s hope rests with the judiciary. “We have more than 20 SANs willing to participate and offer their services for the renewal and emergence of a new Nigeria. As I speak, our lawyers are working on it. This is not something we can discuss in a newspaper; we have started ‘trekking’ to the court,” he said.
Among the high‑ranking counsels on Obi’s legal team are Dr Livy Uzoukwu, Chief Awa Kalu, Dr Onyechi Ikpeazu, P.I.N. Ikwueto, Chief Ben Anyachebe, S.T. Hon, Arthur Obi Okafor, Ik Ezechukwu, J.S. Okutepa, Dr Mrs Valerie Azinge, Emeka Okpoko and Alex Ejesieme. Atiku’s team is led by a renowned SAN and includes 18 other SANs such as Chris Uche, Paul Usoro, Tayo Jegede, Ken Mozia, Mike Ozekhome, Mahmood Magaji, Joe Abraham, Chukwuma Umeh, Garba Tetengi and Emeka Etiaba, as well as Chief Goddy Uche, Prof. Maxwell Gidado, PDP National Legal Adviser A. Ajibade, O. Atoyebi, Nella Rabana, Paul Ogbole, Nuremi Jimoh and Abdul Ibrahim. Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, justified the engagement of these practitioners, stating that their work is essential not only for reclaiming the former president’s mandate but also for strengthening democracy for “the generations unborn.”
The APC, unwilling to be caught in the opposition’s dragnet, announced on Tuesday the formation of a “crack team” of experienced lawyers to defend the President‑elect at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. The team comprises 12 SANs and the party’s National Legal Adviser, Ahmad Usman El‑Marzuq (Esq.). In a statement titled “APC Appoints Presidential Election Petition Legal Team,” El‑Marzuq said the members were carefully selected for their extensive experience in election petitions, constitutional law and litigation. The team will be led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, a renowned lawyer who has handled numerous high‑profile election matters. Other members include Sam Ologunorisa, Murtala Abdulrasheed, Rotimi Ogunesom, Olabisi Soyebo, Gboyega Oyebowale, Pius Akubo, Aliyu Saiki, Oluseye Opasanya, Tajudeen Oladoja, Kazeem Adeniyi and Suraju Saida.
El‑Marzuq’s statement read: “We are confident that the legal team possesses the requisite expertise and experience to ensure a successful outcome for the APC in the Presidential Election Petition matters. We urge party members to support the team in defending the will and mandate of the people. We also call on all parties to conduct themselves with the utmost professionalism and respect for the rule of law throughout the legal process.”
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