Tribunal declines to recognize Lalong as Tinubu’s representative

The Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, yesterday, commenced hearing in the petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

While the panel will be headed by the Presiding Justice (PJ) of the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, Justice Haruna Tsammani, other members of the panel are; Justice Stephen Adah (PJ Asaba Division), Justice Monsurat Bolaji-Yusuf (Asaba Division), Justice Boluokuromo Ugo (Kano Division) and Justice Abba Mohammed (Ibadan Division).

At the hearing, the Plateau State Governor had stood up and announced himself as Ahmed Tinubu’s representative.

“My Lords, my name is Simon Lalong, and I am here to represent Tinubu,” the Governor stated.

However, Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel declined to recognize him as Tinubu’s representative.

“You cannot represent an individual. Tinubu is not a corporation that would need a representative,” the presiding justice held.

The court proceeding is commencing 21 days to the May 29, swearing date of the President-elect, Tinubu.

Aside from the PDP and LP candidates, the Action Alliance, AA and the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, also challenged the declaration of Tinubu as winner of the presidential election.

While AA filed alongside its candidate, Solomon Okanigbuan, they told the court that its candidate, Okanigbuan, was validly nominated to contest the presidential election but was unlawfully excluded by INEC.