The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi, yesterday accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of bias, insisting that it ought to maintain neutrality in electoral contests among candidates.
Peter Obi, in a reply he filed before the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, faulted the electoral body for filing a preliminary objection in support of the President-elect and candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
INEC had in response prayed to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, PEPT, to dismiss the petition filed by LP and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying the reliefs sought were not grantable.
The electoral body contended that Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima, who were the APC presidential and vice presidential candidates were duly declared and returned as elected and issued Certificates of Return having fulfilled the requirements of the constitution to be so declared.
The News Chronicle understands that INEC is the 1st respondent in the petition filed before the tribunal by Obi, the 1st petitioner, and LP, the 2nd petitioner. They had dragged INEC, Tinubu, Shettima and the APC to the court as 1st to 4th respondents respectively.
